From: auwen@convex.com (John David Auwen)
Subject: Re: Beef Jerky questions..!
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 23:46:13 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

bmaple@burner.com (Bob Maple) writes:
>And it brought something up.. do you really NEED a dehydrator to make jerky,
>or is there some 'recipe' of sorts whereby you lie it out in the sun, put it
>in the oven, etc. to make beef jerky?

No you don't need a dehydrator if you have an oven.  Here's some stuff I've
collected over the past 4 years from this newsgroup.


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We've made Jerky for years from beef and venison, and I believe
this will work for almost any kind of meat.

We cut the meat into thin strips, the thinner the strips the
crunchier the jerky comes out, maybe 1/4 " thick will make chewy
jerky.  By the way, cut all the fat off the meat as you're
stripping.

Lay out the strips on a cookie sheet lined with foil, turned up
at the edges so juice won't get over everything.  Lay out in
rows and a single layer.  Sprinkle liberally with black coarse
ground pepper and seasoned salt, or spices that you like the
taste of.

Set the oven to WARM, and leave in the oven overnite, or 8-10
hrs. This causes very slow drying.  Store in a plastic
container, jar, or can after well cooled.  Too much moisture
left in the meat will cause mold, and putting it away while warm
will cause sweating inside the container.



  Subject: Re: Beef Jerky
  To: Tom Lezniak
  From: Jim Vorheis
  Date: 11/21/91 10:59:09 PM
  -------------------------------------------

~Title: Blue Ribbon Jerky

  1/2   cup  dark soy sauce
  2     Tbs  Worcestershire sauce
  1     tsp  monosodium glutamate (optional)
  1/2   tsp  onion powder
  1/2   tsp  garlic powder
  1/4   tsp  powdered ginger
  1/4   tsp  Chinese Five-Spice Powder
  3     lbs  lean beef brisket, eye-of-round or flank steak,
             trimmed completely of fat and cut across grain into
             slices 1/8 inch thick*

Blend all ingredients except meat in small bowl.  Dip each piece
of meat into marinade, coating well.  Place in shallow dish.
Pour remaining marinade over top, cover and refrigerate
overnight.

Oven method:  Preheat oven to lowest setting (preferably 110 F).
 Place several layers of paper towels on baking sheets.  Arrange
meat in single layer on prepared sheets and cover with
additional toweling.  Flatten meat with rolling pin.  Discard
towels and set meat directly on oven racks.  Let dry 8 to 12
hours (depending on temperature of oven).

Dehydrator method:  Arrange meat on trays in single layer and
dehydrate 10 to 12 hours, depending on thickness.

Store jerky in plastic bags or in tightly covered containers in
cool, dry area.

*To aid in slicing meat thinly, freeze until ice crystals are
formed.


~Title: Chinese Beef Jerky

       3  Lbs.   Flank Steak or London Broil

   MARINADE

     1/2  Cup Light Soya Sauce
   4 1/2  Tbs Honey
   4 1/2  Tbs Dry Sherry
      6   Large  Cloves Garlic Minced
   1 1/2  Tbs Ginger Fresh Minced
   1 1/2  Tbs Red Pepper crushed
   1 1/2  Tbs Sesame Oil
          Dash White Pepper

Cut meat in half, lengthwise and slice diagonally crosswise into
paper thin strips 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 4 inches long.
Transfer to shallow pan. Combine marinade ingredients and rub
thoroughly into meat.  Arrange meat on racks and let dry at cool
room temperature overnight (do not refrigerate).

Preheat oven to 250 F. Line two large baking sheets with foil
and set wire racks on top of each baking sheet. Arrange meat on
racks in single layer. Bake 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to 175 F and continue drying meat another 40
minutes.  Meat should be lightly brown but not burnt. Let meat
continue to dry on racks at cool room temperature overnight
before packing into jars.

Dried meat can be brushed lightly with sesame oil for additional
flavor and shine. Makes about 36 pieces.

    Origin: InterConnect - Littleton, CO - (303)797-0296 (1:104/60.0)

 


From rec.food.cooking Fri Nov 20 09:15:57 1992
From: klyle@liberty.uc.wlu.edu (Karen S. Lyle)

SEVEN STEP JERKY

Basic ingredients are: garlic powder, onion powder, onion powder, black
pepper, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, Accent.  Also
knife and pan or bowl.  

Slice three pounds of venison into strips about 3/8 inch thick to ensure
total saturation of the meat while it's marinating.  In container, combine
1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup Worchestershire, 2 tsp. Accent, 2 tsp. seasoned
salt, 2/3 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. onion powder, adn 2/3 tsp. black
pepper.  

Stir this mixture well with a spoon to dissolve all of the soluble
ingredients.  Now the marinaade is ready to be used.

Place the strips of meat in the marinade be sure they're completely
submerged.  Marinate overnight, turning if necessary.

Lay marinated meat strips on oven rack.  Cook for 6 to 8 (6 is better) at
150 degrees.  They get crisper the longer they bake.  

Store finished jerky in zip-lock bags or other airtight containers to seal
in freshness.  Jerky will keep up to two years.



A good book on making beef jerky and other light-weight foods is:

    THE HUNGRY HIKERS BOOK OF GOOD COOKING
      by GRETCHEN McHUGH
       published by Alfred Knopf 1989
       ISBN 0-394-51261-8


just to give you the section on jerky, in case you don't find it,
quoting directly from the book::


   to make jerky, take a raw piece of beef round or chuck, quite lean
and slice it thin, across the grain.  Lay the slices across the racks
of the dryer for two days and nights -- test it by breaking a piece,
it is dry enough when it cracks in two when you break it. The smaller
and thinner you cut the pieces of meat before drying them, the quicker
they will get tender as you soak and cook them

(remember, its easier to slice thinly if the steak is partially frozen)
    One pound of sliced beef dries to 4 ounces of jerky, making
    a ratio of undried to dried meat of about 4:1.

Before drying the meat, you can season it with some combination of the
following spices: paprika, pepper, salt, or other concoctions like
lemon pepper or seasoned salt.  Garlic is wonderful on jerky.  I recommend
rubbing the meat with cut cloves of garlic before slicing it.

A marinade will change the taste slightly, and cause the meat to take longer
to dry.  Marinating tenderizes the meat however, acid in soy sauce and
wine, breaks down the tissues of the meat.  


      SIMPLE MARINADE FOR BEEF JERKY
   

for 3lbs of lean beef:

   2 tablespoons soy sauce
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   2 drops of tabasco, or cayenne
    pepper to taste,
   ground pepper
    1 fresh garlic clove, minced

  slice the beef as thin as you can across the grain
 mix the marinade ingredients, put the meat in the mixture and 
refrigerate for at least 12 hours, 2 days if possible.

 pat the meat dry, and set it on the dryer racks for 2-3 days. (check by
snapping a piece)

note for a stew or stirfry, cut beef into very thin strips 3-4 inches long,
for snack jerky simply slice the steak very thin.


      WINE MARINADE FOR BEEF JERKY

  for 2 pounds of lean beef (chuck, round, sirloin)

  1/2 cup red wine
  1 tablspoon red wine vinegar
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
  2 tablespoons minced onion
  1 bay leaf
  pepper
  pinch each of thyme, oregano, and marjoram

slice the beef across the grain as thin as you can
mix the marinade ingredients, put meat in the mixture, and refrigerate
(12 hours -- to 2 days if possible)
as above, pat the meat dry, place on racks and dry for 2-3 days
(Note up here, meat drys within a day -- must be a difference in
humidity -- I find the snap test the best way to check, rather than
relying on number of hours drying time)

a couple of extra notes  --

before stir frying jerky, soak for 30 minutes, before using in a stew
soak it as long as you can, at least an hour

and pack dental floss or toothpicks  (Im sure you know this part!!)

anyway  --- hope this helps  -- I highly recommend the book, we
find it an excellent source of lightweight, filling recipes for
canoe trips -- and the jerky stirfry is usually a highlight of 
any trip

I make up a lot of my own marinades -- one that works well is simply
honey mixed with minced garlic and soy sauce 
lemon juice, brown sugar, and a little salt
(I usually through things
in until it tastes right)

or if you like thai food -- try mixing a peanut type marinade  -- we
love this one  -- peanut butter, with water, indonesian or sweet soy sauce,
sambal (red pepper sauce), lemon juice, -- just mix over low heat until
you have a sauce consistency and the taste seems right -- this is
excellent for stirfrys
anyway, experiment almost anything will work -- and its a lot cheaper and
a lot tastier than the stuff you buy (thats why we got into it in the
first place too)
cheers!

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Biltong is a South African version of beef jerky.


Biltong is usually made from venison, beef or ostrich meat (the latter may 
pose a problem to you, as would elephant biltong which is readily available 
in RSA and in my view the most delish...) and during the cool, dry months 
of the year (do you have any cool, dry periods?). Now that I live in Oz I 
tend to use beef - the tender cuts are the best, fillet, rump and sirloin, 
it is not cheap!

For every 25kg of meat allow 
    1.25kg good salt,
    250ml brown sugar, 
    50ml bicarb of soda, 
    20ml salpetre, 
    25ml ground pepper, 
    100g coarsely ground coriander seed.

Cut meat across the grain into 5 - 7cm thick strips, trying to leave some 
fat on each piece. Mix salt, sugar, bicarb, saltpetre and coriander and rub 
this into the strips of meat. Layer meat in plastic or enamel container and 
sprinkle a little vinegar over each layer. Leave for 24 - 48 hours. Dip 
meat into a mixture of 500ml vinegar and 5 litres water. Pat dry, then hang 
on s - shaped wire hooks about 5cm apart, free air circulation, for 2 - 3 
weeks. If weather is not cool, make strips about 2cm thick. When dry (the 
degree of dryness is a matter of personal taste) slice thinly and serve 
with beer.
enjoy! 

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