Cliff's Fantastic Jerky Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good jerky? ›

Slice against the grain

Slicing against the grain of the meat yields a softer jerky. Slicing against the grain breaks down the long, tough muscle fibers. Think of slicing against the grain like doing a little pre-chewing.

Salt not only helps pull moisture from the meat, it also acts as a preservative. Jerky using salt will have an appreciably longer shelf-life than that without. In general, using one teaspoon of salt per pound of meat, plus any optional herbs and spices, is considered unsalted jerky.

Place the whole bag into the fridge to thoroughly marinate for up to 24 hours, but no fewer than 4 hours. The longer you marinate, the deeper your flavor and tenderizing action. The most convenient process is to simply refrigerate overnight and start your next step, the drying process, on the following day.

This study has demonstrated that replacing salt with East Asia traditional sauces such as soy sauce, red pepper paste and soybean paste can decrease Na⁺ concentration, lightness and shear force, and enhance the final moisture content and sensory acceptance (color, flavor, tenderness, and overall acceptability) of beef ...

Fattier Cuts Are The Death Knell Of Good, Long-Lasting Jerky

Fat, meanwhile, contains a whole lot of moisture. The more fat in your cut of meat, the harder it will be to get the moisture out of your jerky, making it way more likely to spoil.

The acidic properties of vinegar work to weaken the meat's collagen tissue, making it less tough. Collagen is what gives meat its structure, but it's also responsible for making it chewy. By breaking down some of this connective tissue, vinegar makes your jerky easier to bite into.

Consistent thickness is the name of the game when it comes to jerky slicing. Slicing your jerky evenly will ensure that each piece cooks and dries at the same rate. This prevents over-drying and under-drying. We recommend slicing meat for jerky at a thickness between 1/8" and 1/4" with the perfect thickness at 3/16”.

Using curing salt when making jerky is not essential, however it does have a lot of great benefits. Using curing salt correctly helps to reduce the chance of harmful bacteria growing on meat and ensures a safer curing process. It also improves flavour, colour and extends the shelf life.

Curing salt is not required to make jerky, but it is an important tool to inhibit the growth of unwanted bacteria. Plus, it has other benefits including color retention and flavor enhancement.

Top round and bottom round are lean, flavorful and – in our opinion – the best cuts of beef for jerky. Sirloin tip is extremely lean, but not as tender, and a bit more expensive. Flank steak is also lean (though you may need to trim some fat) and flavorful, but can be tough if its sliced with the grain.

What happens if you don't marinate beef jerky? ›

Why is Marination Important for Jerky? Marination is the immersion of a food into a liquid made with any combination of water, oil, seasonings, acidic components, and cure. The marination of beef jerky impacts the flavor, texture, and shelf-stability of the final product.

And even for those who consider it still a threat, a majority of jerky brands have moved away from added MSG. It acts like a natural preservative to make your jerky last longer once opened. Very small amounts are in jerky products if any.

The Verdict

Here are the results: Both steaks were indeed tenderized - the one that went in the salt is, as in our previous test, the winner. But the soy sauce one was close, and the soy gave it a deeper, richer flavor.

Even so, beef jerky is expensive. Beef jerky is so expensive because it uses a lot of quality meat to make just a little bit of jerky, the process takes resources and employees' time, and beef jerky producers often buy from the beef industry and the price of beef can be expensive.

Remove all visible fat from the meat using a sharp knife. Check for tough or chewy bits and tendons and cut them out. Slice the meat into even strips. Cut against the grain for soft, tender jerky.

Long-term Jerky Storage: Dry and Airtight Is the Way to Go

Keep your jerky in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and in an airtight container. To further ensure that your jerky maintains its flavor and texture, consider adding a desiccant pack in the container, which can absorb any residual moisture.

The ideal method to store homemade jerky is in an airtight container away from any heat, humidity, or direct light. The most reliable, convenient, and effective option to store homemade jerky is a resealable, plastic freezer bag.

No, you do not need to flip jerky in a dehydrator. It's actually a pretty hands off process once the meat hits the dehydrator. The trays have holes in them which allows the air to circulate all the way throughout for even cooking with no flipping required.