deerhunter1224

I was reading up on how to make jerky. They said once you add spices that you want is to marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Then once that is done is to bake in oven at 350 degrees until the interior temperature reaches 160 degrees then continue drying in the dehydrator. The reason for putting in the oven is for salmonella and E. coli. Now i made some beef jerky a few weeks ago just to try my new dehydrator out. All I did was use ground up beef, added spices made my jerky slices and put in dehydrator. My jerky turned out fine didnt get sick or anything. What is the right way to make jerky?

zrexpilot

Ive never heard of cooking the meat first, Ive always done it it in the dehydrator and have even hung meat on a fence line to dry in the sun. Ecoli comes from the stool so if you get crap all over your meat while you were gutting then you would have something to worry about, but I doubt you are that careless when proccessing your deer, right ?
I do think you should add some salt peter to your jerky if its gonna be stored long time before its eaten, Its a preservative.

benhuntin

Just mix in some jerky cure to your batch and put it on the dehydrator. The combination of mild heat from the dehydrator and the cure will kill any bacteria.

UncleNorby

If you process your own meat, you don't really ahve a worry, unless you contaminate it somehow.

If you use ground beef from the store, well, you have no clue what you're dealing with. That's why they say to fully cook ground beef these days.

Georgetownboys

I also have made many batches of jerky a number of ways and none of them include a precook. I have however screwed up one of my early batches by having too much heat. The meat turns a well done looking brown rather than the dark red/brown of jerky.

So . . . .Trim meat well, cut into strips no more than 1/8" to a quarter inch thick. Marinate first, 6 to 24 hours mix every few hours, longer is better. I set my Dryer at 120 or less I think setting at anything higher drys things to fast. I load it just before bed time and when I get up in the AM I check the dryer. The thinner peices will be dry but not brittle. The thicker ones may still have a soft spot, let them stay a bit longer. Check every couple of hours and the whole batch should be done in less than 24 hours.

If your really worried about Ecoli etc. Go to your feed store, canning suppliers and get a bottle of salt peter, not sure the proper name but, they will know, and use a little bit in your marinade.

tazimna

by freezing your game meat for minimum of 18 days, you will be killing any "germs" in the meat that may concern you. Taz

Chubber

I don't know about freezing of meat killing any "germs" in the meat. Many bacteria can survive colds down below 0 F for extended periods. Not all, but some of the worst can.

But, the salt or sugar that is a critical ingredient of most jerky marinades (or Soy) will break down the cell walls on most bacteria and disable them. You dehydrate the bacteria the same way that De-Con rat killer kills rats. If you "smoke" meat the nitrates (nitrate salt and nitrite salts) in the smoke do the same thing as the salt.

If you use a Vinegar mix instead, the acid will dissolve the cell walls of the bacteria the same way it helps to dissolve some of the meat fibers, also preventing the bacteria from being a problem. This is "pickling" meat.

An added benefit of drying your meat outside is the UV radiation that it will be exposed to can actually keep bacteria from growing on the surface. But it has to be a pretty sunny day and any you will prob. pick up just as much bacteria from the dust in the air as you get rid of.

I dry mine in the oven. Set the oven at 150 F and leave the door propped open an inch or so. Put it in before going to bed, check it out when I get up in the morning. Usually takes about 8 hours. Thinner cuts take less time and are safer because the salt or pickle gets into everywhere easier.

Chubber

davidhardegree

I've never made jerky, but I love to eat it. I don't have any fancy drying machines, just an oven.

How do I go about making some goold 'ole jerky. This is what I've gotten so far...

meat slices @ 1/8 in. thick
marinate for 6-24 hrs.
oven at 150 (cracked @ 1 in.)
dry for @ 8hrs. or less for thin slices

What about spices and amount of salt & pepper. How about the meat, does it matter where (from the deer) you get it? These are the things I don't know about. Any help would be appreciated.

David

TURKEY FAN

David: Making jerky is easy but time consuming............for me anyway. Here is what i do. I take the two back legs of my deer skinned and cleaned, i freeze them for a couple days then i let them thaw for like a day and a half, just to were its still a lil frozen in the center.......its easier to cut that way. I use a good long sharp knife and cut the meat into thin strips. Some will be thicker than others, but dont worry about that. After i spent all day hacking the two legs and get all the meat i can from them i throw the meat into a big bowl of marinade (whatever you prefer to use) i do some seperate like soy, terryake, b-bq, ect.. Let them soak for like 1-2 days, then get all the baking trays and cookie sheets your wife has. Lay the strips side by side on all the sheets spread evenly. Set your oven on warm, let them cook for like 4-5hrs, somtimes it takes longer. Then after there done with a red color to them, take them out and let them lay and sprinkle some salt and pepper, or season of your choice while they are warm. Let them cool off before you put them into plastic bags to hand out to your friends and co-workers. Been dooing this for years, i also sprinkle sugar on some and they like that taste the best! Good luck

davidhardegree

Turkey Fan - Thanks for the info. all I have to do now is get one in the freezer. I can't wait.

David