The dry jerky should be firm, it should be flexible have a little bend or give , but it should not chip, crack, or otherwise break when you bend it. Another important texture feature is that it should not feel greasy or soft. It should have a thick and leathery grain or texture to it when it is completely and properly dehydrated. Related Posts: It will be easy to make jerky using the Best smoker for jerky.
There are also different types of smoker in the market. Electric smoker , Offset smoker , Charcoal smoker and Gas grill are all popular and useful for BBQ lovers as their requirements in the kitchen or outdoor cooking. The texture when you chew on the jerky should be one that has a nice crunch or sufficient hardened quality to it. Again, it should not be so hard that you feel your teeth are going to fall off.
Rather it should have some snap or a bite to it when you do bite into the jerky that is properly dehydrated. Another way to test is that even if the exterior does feel hardened, the interior of the jerky has a nice texture and one which you can chew evenly without having to work hard or gnaw at, in order to consume.
I will tell you yet another great way to find out if your jerky is prepared and fully dehydrated. Check if it has no grease or residue when you remove it from the racks. Even if they are thin in nature, when you hold the jerky in your hand, you are going to notice that it is thicker and has some feeling behind it. When it comes to making jerky , you want the meat to maintain its moisture, so that even if you are eating it a few weeks after you have prepared it, it will taste fresh. So, you want to ensure that the internal temperature is going to reach a heat level of F.
Not only does this ensure that the meat is fully cooked and is going to be safe for you to consume it, but also that it will not get hardened over time. Let them cool at room temperature then slightly bend the beef strip. When bent, an adequately dry jerky does not break in half but should crack instead.
The dry strip should exhibit a firm, flexible form that can easily bend completely back on itself without snapping. Dried jerky should not be crumbly but instead displays a leathery texture that tastes palatably chewy.
The chewy quality of dried jerky should have a nice crunch that breaks easily whenever you bite off a strip. Plus, even if it has a dry surface feel, it should still be tender on the inside.
Another good sign that it is dry is that it leaves no greasy or sticky residue when handled. Even if they are dried meat strips, they should feel that there is a substantial amount of meat crammed into them. General Guidelines for Drying Beef Jerky The following are basic guidelines in simply making jerky the scrumptious and healthy treat that it should be.
To begin with, the inside of the meat should dry thoroughly so do not heat it too hastily. The external surface of the meat may get crusty which can retain internal moisture. Use a thermometer to determine temperature and how much time it takes to dry the jerky. Once the jerky is satisfactorily dry, take out the strips from the drying trays and place them on a clean surface. With a paper towel, pat off excess oil and allow it to cool. Drier jerky lasts longer, while moister jerky is tastier and easier to eat.
To test for doneness, lift the lid from your jerky dehydrator and remove a piece. Set it aside on the counter to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, because the jerky will be more pliable when it's warm.
Take the piece of jerky and bend it gently to about a degree angle. If any moisture squeezes out, it's definitely not done yet and can go back into the dehydrator. If it cracks and breaks, you've left it too long, and it's already past the point of best flavor and texture.
It's still perfectly edible, just not as good as it might have been. Ideally, the jerky should be pliable like leather, and it should just fray and crack slightly at the bending point. If that's what you see, your next step is to take a bite. The jerky shouldn't crack or crunch, but just give way grudgingly between your teeth. If it's tasty, no longer has a "fresh meat" feel, but doesn't crumble as it's chewed either, you've gotten it right.
Getting to the perfect point requires careful preparation, mostly centered around food safety. To make sure your dehydrator trays and all your work surfaces are clean and sanitized, use either a commercial sanitizing product or a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach in 3 cups of water to clean everything. You can also preheat your dehydrator to F or higher while you're getting everything else ready, which will kill any stray bacteria that have settled in it.
You'll also need to wash your hands, knife and cutting board thoroughly, or in the case of the knife and cutting board, you can run them through the dishwasher on the high-heat setting. You can't do anything about any bacteria that come into your kitchen on the meat, but you can make sure you don't add any new ones.
When shopping for your meat, your best bets for making jerky are lean cuts with fine grain and minimal fat or connective tissue. Round roasts and eye of round are ideal, and they are usually inexpensive. However, other cuts will also work as long as they're lean.
Trim away any large seams of fat, as well as any connective tissue. Slicing your meat evenly is crucial in having all your jerky dry at the same rate, and it's hard to do that without a commercial meat slicer. If you're slicing by hand at home, place the trimmed meat in your freezer until it's firm but not hard-frozen.
It'll hold its shape and be easier to slice evenly with a sharp knife. An easy rule is to go thicker for a chewier jerky, and thinner for one that's easier to eat or if the meat itself is extra-tough.
You might also opt to skip this step entirely, and just ask your butcher to slice it for you. Marinating your jerky is a crucial step in the process.
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