Important Notice: Our web hosting provider recently started charging us for additional visits, which was unexpected. In response, we're seeking donations. Depending on the situation, we may explore different monetization options for our Community and Expert Contributors. It's crucial to provide more returns for their expertise and offer more Expert Validated Answers or AI Validated Answers. Learn more about our hosting issue here.

How Do You Make Beef Jerky In A Food Dehydrator?

April 26, 2017Baking Beef Cooking dehydrator DRINK food jerky techniques

0

Posted

How Do You Make Beef Jerky In A Food Dehydrator?

2 Answers

0

rae wilson Posted

Making jerky with a food dehydrator is easy via the following steps:

Choose a lean piece of meat.

Trim the fat and any connective tissue or tendons off the meat. It is important to trim as much fat off the meat as possible as fat will not dry out during the dehydrating process.

Slice the trimmed meat into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick strips. The slices can be made with or against the grain.

If desired, the meat strips can be marinated with sauces and seasoned with spices, salt and pepper. Marinating the meat will obviously add moisture and thus potentially prolong the dehydrating time required.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that, before dehydrating, the meat strips be heated to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). The USDA recommends this step to ensure that salmonella, listeria, e coli and other potentially harmful bacteria are destroyed. Per the USDA, studies have shown that harmful bacteria can survive temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). The USDA especially recommends preheating, before dehydrating, for ground beef based jerky.

Place the meat strips in a food dehydrator and maintain a constant drying temperature of between 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (54 to 60 degrees Celsius).

Drying time can vary up to 12 hours based on drying temperatures, the dehydrator, if marinades are used, the thickness of the slices and humidity levels.

Test the jerky to see if it is done. The jerky should be flexible and not brittle. Jerky is done when a test piece cracks on the edges but does not break when it is bent.

http://www.food-dehydrator.com/resource-center/how-to-make-jerky-with-a-food-dehydrator.aspx

0

Posted

Using a food dehydrator is an easy and inexpensive way to make your own beef jerky. The energy boost these highly flavored, chewy meat snacks provide makes them a favorite of campers and hikers. Follow these steps to learn how to make beef jerky in a food dehydrator. Cut about 3 pounds of lean beef into very thin slices about 8 inches long. Cut against the grain and remove as much of the fat as possible. Make a marinade of ¾ cup soy sauce, ¾ cup Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp. of sugar, 1 tsp. of salt, 1 tbsp. of minced garlic and a few shakes of black pepper. Place the marinade and the sliced beef in a resealable gallon plastic bag. Gently squeeze the bag to spread the marinade over all the beef. Refrigerate the beef and marinade over night. Turn the bag occasionally to keep all the beef covered with marinade. Drain the beef. Oil the racks of your food dehydrator with cooking spray. Place the beef strips on the racks and put the lid on the dehydrator. If your dehydrator has a temperatur