How To Make Jerky
Make Jerky: Jerky is a type of dried food which is prepared from meat cut into strips, trimmed fat, marinated in several spices, sauces, sweet rub or liquid, dried by smoking with low heat (about 70 degree F). Jerky can be stored for a long time without refrigeration. It is a salty, spicy, savory and semi sweet healthy snack and can be eaten fresh or stored. Jerky is believed to be the first man made meat product among all the products of the food preservation technique.
The word jerky is derived from Quechua term charqui which means to burn meat. Meat can be spoiled in a very short time interval because of the presence of moisture and the presence of fat also adds more dampness to it and this technique is very helpful to save the meat. To prevent this, it needs drying into Jerky. Though, newer methods like freezing, and adding chemicals have been developed now-a-days many people still love the flavor and the convenience of jerky. Jerky is made mainly from beef or bacon. Jerky is made by removing fat and moisture and a very good source of protein. Here we will tell you the detailed process to make beef jerky.
Make Jerky Ingredients:
5 lbs. Minimum (One piece preferred) Fresh Brisket (Lean)
*You may substitute the beef brisket with your choice of meat*
15 – 20 oz. Soy Sauce
15 oz. Worcestershire Sauce*
15 – 20 oz. Teriyaki sauce
2 – 4 tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 – 4 tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
2 – 4 tablespoons Onion Powder
2 – 4 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
2 – 4 oz. Dark Corn Syrup or Molasses for even more flavor
5 oz. bottle Liquid Smoke
- Very Sharp Knife
*Preferred brand Lea & Perrins
All the other jerky ingredients can be of any brand.
Make Jerky Preparation:
Select a cut of meat. A cut like sirloin, eye round or top round will be easy and save you time
Remove as much fat as possible from the brisket, fats increase the rate of degradation and meat spoils faster because fat goes bad (rancid). Slice the meat into very thin strips (less than approximately 1/22” of thickness and sometimes a butcher will do this for you for an extra $ 10). Better to freeze the meat 5 hours before slicing and bring them out before crystals are formed. You can also cut it against the grain as some find it easier to chew. Trim the fat when you go along because fat never dries out.
Add the liquid ingredients in to a container and cover it properly with a plastic wrapper and stir them frequently.
Marinate the meat in a solution with Worcestershire sauce and olive oil or according to the recipe you desire to prepare. Keep in refrigeration for at least 10-24 hours so the meat absorbs the flavor. You can also mix with soy powder and paprika for a teriyaki taste. Brown sugar, Dark Corn Syrup or Molasses can also be added. But this step should be done carefully as moisture makes the dehydration longer and the jerky turns stickier.
Coat the meat with seasoning of your choice and add salt. Addition of Salt will help in dehydrating.
Now the meat is ready to be dried, spread an aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven. Try to make a pan out the foil by spreading it and covering the whole surface of the oven and you have to keep the foil till dripping stops. Once the meat is turned over the dripping starts giving a burning smell as it lies on the bottom of the oven. Replace the foil with a new one to avoid this. It is better to keep paper towels on the oven door while opening and closing the trays to catch the dripping. Dehydrate the meat by keeping them in racks of your oven arrange them in the top rack first and then the second rack. Set the temperature at least 160-180 degrees F. When visible and dripping is stopped all meat should be moved around from bottom to rack because the meat is moister in top than bottom. It should be checked regularly for consistency of drying. The low heat is actually used to dry the meat rather than cooking it. It takes approximately 5-6 hours depending on the number of slices, thickness of the slices and the temperature. Approximately in the last hour, the oven door should be propped open with a spoon or fork to dissipate the heat; or else the higher heat could cook the meat. It is always good to keep the door of the oven propped open which allows the proper and uniform flow of heat and passage of air. Meat should be dried till they do not bend and you could break off a piece from it. But the meat should not dry till they become crispy and can break easily. Over drying can degrade the food value and the flavor will vaporize. It should be properly and uniformly dried to prevent mold.
Once the meat is adequately dried it is time cool. The jerky is now ready to eat. You can leave it for a day in a moist-free and well-lit place for air drying in an open container. Now you can store it in a sealed container or zip lock bag. It would be best to keep them refrigerated. Jerky can be stored in normal temperature also, but to avoid mold it is good to keep refrigerated. This meat may completely dry if not stored in a closed container. So, the color may change, but do not worry. The only thing you need to keep in mind is there should not be any chance of increase in moisture content in the meat and spoilage due to mold.
Venison jerky (Deer meat):
Venison is tender, tasty and proteinaceous and the jerky made of it is incredible. The method remains almost the same like beef jerky. Here is a quick way to make Venison Jerky.
Make Jerky Ingredients:
1 tbsp. garlic salt
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. onion salt
1 tbsp. salt
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 lb. deer meat
Make Jerky Procedure:
1. Cut the meat into small strips (approximately 3 to 4” long)
2. Dip the meat in enough water and let it stand at least for six to seven hours.
3. Keep the meat in paper towel and allow them to dry.
4. Hang strips on oven racks and give space between each strip. Set the temperature to 200 degrees F or even lower than that.
5. Keep the oven door propped open to allow passage of heat uniformly, passage of air and to let the moisture escape.
6. Leave meat for drying over 9-10 hours depending on the size and number.
7. And your deer jerky is ready.
We hope you enjoyed our make jerky tips and thanks for coming!