There's no doubt that jerky is one of the all-time snacks around . Not only is dried meat incredibly tasty, but it also makes the perfect on-the-get snack for camping ground trips, road trips, and more than.

While you can find jerky in pretty much any grocery shop or gas station, it's also a pretty like shooting fish in a barrel snack to make at home .

The cardinal to making tasty hasty is knowing how to dry out information technology . How do y'all dry hasty? Check out this first to finish guide to learn everything you demand to know.

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An Introduction to Jerky

Jerky refers to whatsoever meat that has been dried, salted, and seasoned . Because of hasty's depression moisture content, it can be stored on the shelf for several weeks without refrigeration. While about people acquaintance beef with hasty , you can make jerky from all kinds of meats , including turkey , pork, venison, and footing meat.

While many people retrieve of jerky equally a modern snack, it's really been around for a very long time. The word "jerky" comes from the ancient Quechuan ( Quechua are indigenous persons of South America who alive in the Andean highlands from Ecuador to Republic of bolivia) word "ch'arki."

Indigenous people of South American would bring jerky along with them on long journeys. Now, campers, hikers, and snackers enjoy jerky when they're looking for a salty, protein-packed seize with teeth to eat.

During Earth War, soldiers ofttimes snacked on beefiness jerky every bit a source of protein, and NASA has been sending astronauts to outer space with beefiness hasty since 1986.

Before yous can think nearly drying jerky, you first need to prepare it. Here's what you demand to do to become your jerky ready :

  • Remove as much fatty from the meat equally possible.
  • Partially freeze the meat so it'due south easy to slice.
  • Slice the slightly frozen meat into strips. The strips should be about ¼ - ⅜ inch thick, 1 - 1 ½ inches broad, and iv -10 inches long.
  • To brand your jerky more tender, make certain to cut beyond the grain.
  • To make your hasty uniformly thick, flatten it with a rolling pin.
  • Cook the jerky strips to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. To get them to the right temperature, you lot can either broil them in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the hasty meat has cooked, y'all tin can simmer it in a marinade for some added flavour. Make two to iii cups of marinade using your favorite sauces and seasonings. Bring the marinade to a rolling eddy over medium heat, and add a few meat strips.

Make sure the marinade covers the meat strips completely, and render the pan to a boil for one minute. Y'all can too marinate the strips overnight in the refrigerator before cooking the meat.

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Methods for Drying Your Jerky

One time your hasty has been cooked and marinated, it'due south time to dehydrate it . There are several different methods you tin can use to dry jerky, and each method comes with its pros and cons.

Here are the top options:

Oven-Drying Jerky

Oven-drying hasty is perhaps the best method for dehydration. Oven drying works well for all types of jerky, just there are some things you need to keep in mind before yous use this method.

Hither's what to keep in heed:

  • Fix the oestrus as depression as possible, and don't employ the broiling element
  • If your broiling element comes on even at the lowest blistering setting, you lot tin can set a heavy-duty foil or cookie sail on the top shelf to deflect the heat.
  • If your oven isn't vented, place a wooden spoon in the opening of the oven to gear up it ajar.
  • To encourage air circulation, y'all can identify a fan near the open up door.
  • Don't overload your oven with too much jerky.
  • The optimal drying temperature is usually effectually 140 degrees.

With those tips in mind, here's a nifty recipe for oven-dried beefiness jerky :

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of boneless meridian round steak
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ loving cup liquid smoke
  • ¼ loving cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Steps:

  1. Gather the ingredients and make sure easily, work surfaces, and equipment are clean.
  2. Wrap the beef in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 to 60 minutes until firm.
  3. Using a sharp pocketknife, trim the beef hasty.
  4. Utilize a rolling pivot to flatten the beef jerky if desired.
  5. Place the sauces and spices in a large freezer bag, and squeeze to combine.
  6. Place the beef in the bag with the marinade, reseal, and toss to coat.
  7. Open the bag, squeeze out all of the air, reseal, and refrigerator overnight.
  8. Heat your oven to 250 F, place a blistering rack on a cookie sheet, and set aside.
  9. Drain the meat from the marinade and pat dry with a towel.
  10. Arrange the strips of meat on a unmarried layer on the pan.
  11. Bake the meat for nigh four hours, or until the jerky is dry out to touch. Check the jerky often, as drying times can vary. Sometimes, the process can have upwardly to 12 hours.
  12. Remove the jerky from the oven, and raise the temperature to 275 F.
  13. Identify the jerky on a clean blistering sheet, and bake for an additional ten minutes.
  14. Remove from the oven and pat dry out any remaining wet.
  15. Store the hasty food-form containers with tight-fitting lids.

Related: Two Chicks Jerky Merch

Using a Dehydrator Machines

You can also use a dehydrator auto , which comes with multiple layers of stacking trays, to dry out your hasty. Dehydrating machines typically operate at 140 F, merely keep in mind that the lower trays will get more heat than the pinnacle trays.

If you use a dehydrator machine, you'll demand to keep an eye on the beefiness hasty and rotate the trays from top to bottom in 30-infinitesimal to 1-hr intervals. As the meat approaches the last stage, yous may too need to lower the temperature by x degrees or so to prevent scorching.

Which Drying Methods Should You Avoid?

You should avoid trying to dry your jerky in a microwave, equally this volition effect in uneven heating . Smokers are as well not recommended, every bit it can exist difficult to proceed the smoker at a abiding temperature.

While sun-drying is the fourth dimension-honored technique , this method can only be done in sunny, hot, and arid areas with adept breezes. Typically, the potential for food poisoning makes this method not worth the risk.

Related: Two Chicks Jerky Shop Locator

Time to Dry Your Jerky

At present that y'all know how to dry your jerky , it'due south fourth dimension to put these steps into action. Pretty soon, y'all'll have your ain tasty bootleg jerky to snack on to your middle's content.

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