Homemade Jerky

[Scottieoutdoors]

Since one of the discussions recently I mentioned beef jerky and its been stuck in my mind ever since...so the other day I bought a joint of beef from lidl, wasn't the leanest joint, but it was pretty good I'd say, then yesterday set about cutting it and marinating. I cut lots of bits wafer thin, others less so - purely because of fiddliness and patience...
Eventually marinaded it in soya sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and a bunch of others bits and bobs Inc some chilis. Left that about 22 hours then today, onto a cooling rack (on top of a tinfoil covered tray) then into the oven on 80 degrees C for 3 and a bit hours and omg...amazing.. luckily I was too busy working otherwise I'm sure I'd have eaten the lot. Tomorrow I have to cook the rest of it.

Next phase I guess might be vacuum packing into batches for hiking snacks! If I don't eat it all in the meantime!

 

[grizzlyj]

It is super tasty, even with no marinade
Recipes in the Idiots Guide to Dehydrating say, once you've done the long and low temperature, to do it for a further 10 minutes at 275 degrees F to make sure you kill any remaining bugs.

 

[Kadushu]

Yes it's a little bit morish!

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

It is super tasty, even with no marinade
Recipes in the Idiots Guide to Dehydrating say, once you've done the long and low temperature, to do it for a further 10 minutes at 275 degrees F to make sure you kill any remaining bugs.

Uh oh bit late!

 

[Robson Valley]

Recently, I watched a very good trick for oven-jerky.
The roast(?) was cut into 1" x 6" x 1/4" strips. These were marinated in whatever secret brew you like.
Close to one end, you stick a toothpick, a fat one, across the meat.
Put one oven wire rack as high as possible. On the lowest remaining rack, put in a sheet pan for a drip tray. Feed the toothpicks through the upper rack wires and give each piece a quarter turn so the meat hangs from the wires.

250F to 275F for as long as you like for as stiff and hard as you like. In my oven, at least 4 hours depending on how thinly I have cut the meat. I have a Breville "Smoke Pistol", an electric gadget that burns apple sawdust. Half a dozen snorts with that in the first hour is the right thing to do. I always have laid the meat out flat but the toothpick holder will double or triple the load for the oven.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

275F is 135°C, that seems quite high. Looking at some stuff I have, a core temp of 70°C for 2 mins is all that's required when commercially cooking. So I think 80°C would be ample no?

I need to try and find a butcher who would slice a joint up for me thin...if such a service exists.. that way I could do big slices and then cut them up once done... rather than have lots and lots of tiny pieces.

 

[Robson Valley]

Good catch. I was dreaming of BBQ. I run the dehydrator at 55C. Drying meat at 60C ought to be plenty.