9
Preparing Jerky from Meat/Poultry Strips
Select lean meats such as beef and venison sirloin, rump, and round cuts; pork loin and ham cuts; and poultry breast, thigh, and leg.
Trim meat of visible fat, connective tissue, and gristle. Remove skin and fat from poultry. Freeze meat/poultry until firm, but not solid,
to make slicing easier. Slice into strips that are ¼ inch thick, 1 inch wide, and 5 to 6 inches long. Slice across the grain for a more tender
jerky or with the grain for a chewier jerky.
Flavor the meat/poultry strips by marinating in your own favorite marinade, a commercial marinade, or use the marinade recipe below.
Place marinade and strips in a resealable plastic storage bag. Seal bag and shake to thoroughly coat the strips. Refrigerate for 8 to 12
hours. Turn bag often to evenly coat the strips.
Refer to the
CAUTION!
note on page 8 about cooking meat/poultry before or baking after dehydrating. For a more desirable texture, bake
after dehydration. Meat/poultry that is precooked prior to dehydrating will have shorter drying times; however, the end product will have
a dry, crumbly texture. If cooking the meat before dehydrating is preferred, follow the instructions below:
Cooking before dehydrating
—After marinating, place strips and liquid marinade into a shallow pan. If no liquid remains, add
enough water to cover strips. Bring liquid to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove strips from marinade and place in a colander to drain. Pat strips dry. Then position them on dehydrator trays. Arrange strips
close together but not overlapping.
Dry jerky at 160°F (71°C) for 4 to 8 hours. See “Determining Dryness” information below.
If you did not cook the meat/poultry prior to dehydrating, bake it after, following the instructions below:
Baking after dehydrating
—Preheat oven to 275°F. (For an accurate temperature reading, check with an oven thermometer.) Re-
move jerky strips from dehydrator trays and place on a baking sheet close together, but not touching. Heat jerky in preheated oven
for 10 minutes (jerky strips should be sizzling when removed from the oven). Remove jerky from baking sheet and cool to room
temperature.
Jerky Marinade
**
1½–2 pounds of lean meat
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hickory smoke flavored salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and follow “Preparing Jerky from Meat/Poultry Strips” instructions above.
Preparing Jerky from Ground Meat
Mix 93% lean ground meat with your favorite commercially available jerky seasoning/cure package. Place the ground meat mixture in a
Presto
™
jerky gun* or a cookie press and extrude meat directly onto dehydrator trays, making sure that the meat does not touch or overlap
(refer to the warning information above).
Dry jerky at 160°F (71°C) for 4 to 8 hours. See “Determining Dryness” information below.
Bake the meat after dehydrating, following the instructions above.
Determining Dryness
Begin checking jerky after about 4 hours and every 30 minutes thereafter. Drying time will depend on a variety of factors. These factors
include the type of meat/poultry, the amount of fat, and whether or not it was precooked before dehydrating. In addition, times will vary
depending on size/thickness of the pieces and how full the trays are. Jerky that is acceptably dry will crack when bent but will not break.
Packaging and Storage
After cooling, pat jerky with paper toweling to remove any fat droplets which may have formed on the jerky. Follow “Packaging and
Storing Dried Food” information on page 10. Jerky can be stored 1 to 2 months at room temperature. However, to maintain the best flavor
and quality, store in the refrigerator or freezer.
WARNING!
Any liquid or grease, including marinade, that drips into the base of the unit may damage the product and/or cause
smoking.
Meat/poultry strips should not be placed over the center hole or allowed to drape over the sides of the trays.
Ground meat should be 93% lean.
If liquid or grease drips onto the center hub screen, please refer to the warning on page 4
detailing how to clean the screen before continuing to operate the unit.
* Presto
™
Jerky Gun sold separately (see page 11).
** Jerky Marinade recipe provided by “So Easy to Preserve”, 5th ed., 2006 Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised
by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods Specialists.
