Eating Healthier in Today's World

JERKY TALK

Humans have been eating dried meats since the cave man times.  Our ancestors learned about the natural drying process by observing and copying animals that cached their game in trees where it dried in the wind.  Today, dehydrating jerky is the number one reason many people purchase a dehydrator.

Jerky is a popular, high protein, low carb. low fat snack and selling it is a big business!  In stores it can cost up to $2 for a single oz. which makes it more expensive than fresh maritime lobster.  Making it though, is much more economical but also easy to do.  Jerky is not only a tasty snack but it is also a great ingredient to use in baking or cooking.  Many outdoorsmen know the benefits of adding jerky to a pot of soup for example.

Jerky is a raw meat that is either--cut into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick strips that are marinated and then dried or-- made with ground meat (like hamburger) that is flavoured, shaped, and then dried.  Please note that when I refer to the word "meat", that I am including all categories like fish, poultry and any meat that has a muscle.  Some examples of suitable choices for jerky are: beef, buffalo, venison, lamb, moose, elk, antelope, chicken, turkey, goat, duck, goose, ostrich, most fish both fresh and salt water, commercial luncheon meats, pepperoni, leftover cooked ham, cooked turkey (great way to use the leftovers from Thanksgiving), sausage, pastrami and even tofu strips.  Jerky is considered raw meat.  Even though it is dried, people always ask "Is it safe to eat?"   The answer is YES, it is safe if it has been dried at a high enough temperature usually 145 to 160 degrees F. and that you have all the moisture out of the meat.  Test cooled jerky by bending it like a green willow.  It should be firm and will break when folded.

Jerky is marinated first and then dried. Marinades are seasoned liquids that can be as thick as molasses or watery thin.  Marinating ingredients are mixed together and left for about fifteen min. so that the flavours have an opportunity to blend before adding the strips of meat.  The amount of time for the strips to absorb the flavouring can vary from just a few minutes to several days.  The longer the strips are in the marinade, the more flavour they will absorb.  I generally like to leave the meat overnight in the fridge to marinate.  After the marinated strips have been placed on the mesh-lined dehydrator trays and dried for an hour or so and the surface moisture has evaporated, you can intensify the flavour by brushing them with molasses, honey, or barbecue sauce and letting them continue to dry.  I usually let the jerky dry overnight or for about 8 to 10 hours on the highest setting for temperature.

Click here for more great Dehydrating Tips and Recipes

I thought you would like to see and hear about a few of the "different" things you can do either making or using jerky, so here goes.

Turkey Jerky -  It sound neat to say and tastes even better.  I use fresh ground raw turkey for this version, however you can try it with cooked leftover pieces.  The recipe below is for 1 lb. of ground turkey.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the meat and stir until blended.  Let the mixture rest at least 15 min. and add the meat and stir.  Marinate at least 1 hour.  Place in the fridge if marinating longer.  Form into shapes or strips and place on a mesh-lined dehydrator tray.  Sprinkle salt on the jerky while it's still moist.  Dry at minimum temperature of 145 to 160 degrees F.

Ham Jerky  - This is a real crowd pleaser for the outdoorsy people.  Choose cooked lean ham for the jerky and cut 1/4 thick pieces or strips.  Again the recipe below is for 1 lb. of ham strips.  Mix all the ingredients together and add the ham slices and marinate at least 12 hours in the fridge before drying on the mesh sheets at 160 degrees F.

Jerky as an Ingredient:  Few people know that jerky is a great tasting and interesting and even outrageous recipe ingredient.  Its is a wonder that the many commercial jerky companies do not add the possibility to their labelling and advertising.  You can add small pieces of jerky to soup, stew, hash, spaghetti sauce, casseroles, rice and pasta dishes.  You can use the pieces in omelette or even on top of salads in place of bacon bits.  When adding jerky to recipes with lots of liquid like soups or stew, there is no need to rehydrate or presoak.  If you do need to rehydrate it first consider using fruit or vegetable juices and don't throw out the liquid, as it has some extra flavour, and use it somehow in the recipe.  Here is an example of what I am talking about with this Jerky Hash Recipe.  By the way our wonderful cookbook by Mary Bell includes all of these wonderful recipes for dehydrated food - Food Drying with an Attitude.

Jerky Hash                              

1/2 cup jerky, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a bowl, rehydrate jerky in water for 10 min.  Drain and save jerky-flavoured water.  Over high heat, sauté celery, oil, and onion and reduce heat to medium.  add saved jerky water and cover and cook.  Remove lid and add potatoes, jerky, salt and pepper.  Sir to prevent sticking.

Jerky Storage:  Proper storage of jerky is also important.  If your finished jerky feels oily, wrap it in paper towels to absorb the excess oil.  This will help prevent if from going rancid and encourage longer storage.  I like to store the jerky in unused jars that are air-tight but you can use sealable plastic bags as well.  Although our ancestors dried meat and fish and kept it from year to year without refrigeration, good packaging and cold temperatures promote longer shelf life.  If keeping the jerky longer that a month, it is a good idea to refrigerate it to prolong it's freshness, although I have kept jerky for up to 6 months just in a cool dark room with no problems.

Happy Jerky Making!!!