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From: moynes_r@qis.dofasco.ca (Richard Moynes) Newsgroups: rec.backcountry Subject: Jerky recipes Message-ID: <1993Jan11.133033.1@qis.dofasco.ca> Date: 11 Jan 93 13:30:33 GMT Organization: Dofasco Inc, Hamilton, Ont. Can. Lines: 585

Well, several people asked for this list of recipes so here it is. Now you'll know what to do next time you happen upon a herd of cows in a meadow at 10,000 ft :-). Having started a batch last night, I have a suggestion of my own to add: if this is your first batch, make sure you have some store-bought jerky on hand for the inevitable feeding frenzy resulting from the aroma given off by the dehydrator. If you're on a diet, you might consider going elsewhere while it's running because I think I put on 10 lbs just from breathing the air :-). For those who wanted to know, my dehydrator is the el-cheapo K-TEL model. I expect they're all pretty much the same since the principle involved is very simple, but I won't be surprised when the marketing people develop a 16-valve double overhead cam turbocharged model.

And thanks once again to those who sent in their recipes.

Richard -- Richard Moynes Not speaking for moynes_r@qis.dofasco.ca Dofasco Inc., Hamilton, Ont.

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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.

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~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)

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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This is the first part of my jerkey summary...a few people had asked for the recipies that I got. I didn't get very many responses, but thanks to those of you who were kind enough to reply. Special thanks to Bob (you know who you are) who sent me a bunch of recipies. Anyway, I'm going to post all of them, but only a few at a time, to build the anticipation. Since all the methods are essentially the same, I'll put the method in first, followed by the various ingredient lists.

For measurements, tblsp = tablespoon and tsp = teaspoon.

General jerkey method:

All recipies use 1 lb lean meat, thinly sliced. (3/16-1/4 in thick)

In a small glass bowl, combine all ingredients except meat. Stir to mix well. Place meat 3-4 layers deep in a container, spooning sauce mixture over each layer. Cover tightly and marinate 6-12 hours in the 'fridge, stirring occasionally and keeping the mixture covered.

I can't really help with drying instructions, but i'd say somewhere between 7-10 hours, depending on how you like it.

_The Recipies_

Mild Mexican Jerky 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp crushed oregano 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Hawaiian Jerky 1 tsp salt 1 crushed garlic clove 1 tsp ground ginger 1/4 cup pineapple juice 1 tbs brown sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 tsp papper 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Korean Jerkey 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbs dry sherry (if desired) 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tbs sesame seeds 2 tsp sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tsp MSG (if desired)

Hot & Tangy Jerky 1 tsp salt 2 cloves crushed garlic 1/4 tsp cracked pepper 2 tbs A-1 sauce 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp paprika

Middle Eastern Jerky 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/8 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp ground cumin 1--1/2 tsp coriander 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Fiesta Jerky 1 tsp salt 1 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1 tbs chili powder 1 tsp garlic powder

That's it for this post. Still 7 recipies left to go, but my fingers are getting tired. And it's dinner time. The only recipie I've tried so far is the one for Hot & Tangy jerky, and it's pretty good. hopefully I'll be able to try the rest of them when I have more time.

Hope you enjoy 'em. Again, thanks to those who responded, and special thanks to Bob for sending all the recipies I'm working on posting.

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I've had a food dehydrator for about a year now, and have used it extensively for backpacking foods. Nearly everything I've tried works great.

Here are all the recipes I've gotten from the net. There are some recipes for jerked chicken at the end.

BTW I have never dried fowl in the dehydrator. I'm not sure whether it is safe to do it or not because of samonella (sp?). If you have or get any info on drying fowl, please send it along.

Happy drying!

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>Anyone who has a recipe for Jerk Chicken, a spicy traditional jamaican >recipe, please post, or email to me. Thanks in advance.

I have a book by Helen Willinsky called Jerk: Barbecue from Jamaica.

I have so many recipes online now that I'm searching for some jerk recipes to post (I remember some as being from this book and if they're online I don't want to retype them).

Jerk: Barbecue from Jamaica, by Helen Willinsky Available from:

Crossing Press Freedom, CA, 95019 800-777-1048

-babs --

SE> From: snewton@oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu (Steven E. Newton)

SE> Anyone who has a recipe for Jerk Chicken, a spicy traditional jamaican SE> recipe, please post, or email to me. Thanks in advance.

I'm taking the liberty of answering even though I have /three/ recipes for it.

------------------------------------------- GRILLED JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

1/4 cup Inner Beauty, or other Caribbean hot sauce, or 10 pureed Scotch Bonnet chile pepper, or 15 of your favorite fresh chile peppers 2 tbsp dried rosemary 2 tbsp parsley, chopped 2 tbsp dried basil 2 tbsp dried thyme 2 tbsp mustard seeds 3 scallions, finely chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper juice of 2 limes 1/4 cup cheap yellow mustard 2 tbsp orange juice 2 tbsp white vinegar 6 chicken thighs, with legs attached

Combine all the rub ingredients in a food processor, or blender, and blend them into a paste, making sure that all the ingredients are fully integrated. The paste should be approximately the consistency of a thick tomato sauce. If it is too thick, thin it out with a little more white viegar. Cover the paste and let it sit n the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for the flavors to blend together. Overnight is the ideal amount of time to give them to get acquainted. (**NOTE** If you want to avoid making a fresh batch every time you make this dish, you can multiply the amount of paste easily. Don't worry about it going bad, since it keeps almost infinetely.)

Rub the chicken thighs with paste and place them on the grill over very low heat. If you have a covered cooker, put the coals to one side and the chicken on the other, and cover.

Cook about 1 hour without a cover or 1/2 hour if covered. The key here is to use a very low heat. You need to be patient and give yourself plenty of time. The chicken is technically done when the meat is opaque and the juices run clear. However, the ideal is about 10-15 minutes past that point, when the meat pulls away from the bone easily. It is very hard to overcook this. In fact you can only screw it up if you burn the paste by having the heat too high. The longer the chicken stays on the grill, the more superior the smoky flavor. After cooking, separate the leg from the thigh by cutting at the natural joint between them. Serve one leg or thigh per person accompanied by a few spoonfuls of Banana-guava ketchup.

Serves 4 and as entree or 6 as a light meal.

Origin: Cookbook Digest magazine, July/Aug 1991

Origin: PSICHOTIC CIRCUS, 101 Ways to Wok you dog. (1:359/600)

------------------------------------------- Title: JAMAICAN JERK SAUCE

1/2 cup Ground Allspice 1/2+ cup Brown Sugar 6 - 8 Garlic cloves 4 - 6 Scotch Bonnet Peppers (or equivalent) seeds and all 1 TB ground Thyme, or 2 TB thyme leaves 2 bunches Scallions 1 tsp Cinnamon 1/2 tsp Nutmeg Soy sauce to moisten (2 TBS)

Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. You may use allspice berries, if available, but use enough to give the equivalent of 1/2 cup ground. This will keep "forever" in the refrigerator. Feel free to increase the garlic, and the hot peppers. I do. The recipe, double, and triples very well.

Rub about 1/4 cup sauce into each chicken, halved, and get under the skin and in all the cavities. It is is pork, use a de-boned shoulder, score the fat, and rub the sauce in, using 1/2 cup, or more, per 6 lb shoulder. Use less for fish.

Marinate, preferably overnight, and grill over a low fire, until done. Charcoal is ideal. The meat will be a smoky pink when done, and the skin nice and dark. Chop the meat into pieces, and serve traditionally with a hard-dough bread, and LOTS of Red Stripe Beer!

Christine

Origin: The Guild Miami,FL (305) 751-0993 (1:135/315)

Randy Farkas Jerked Chicken

Number of Servings: 4

1 ea chicken - 1 lb - washed and quartered 1/2 tsp seasoned salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers 2 tsp soy sauce, dark SAUCE: 1/2 cup breadcrumbs - dry 1/2 tsp seasoned salt 1/2 tsp thyme 1 ea onion - large 1/2 tsp pimento seed (allspice berries) 2 ea garlic cloves 1 cup water

Mix seasonings and soy sauce and rub over the chicken pieces. Cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate. The next day, bake marinated chicken in 350F oven for 1-1/2 hours. Meanwhile, make the sauce by blending all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. When chicken has cooked for 1-1/2 hours, remove from the oven and dip each piece in blended sauce mixture. Return chicken to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil remaining sauce for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened. Serve hot sauce with the chicken.

Serves 4.

From Lloyd's Caribbean Bakery, Calgary, Alberta Appeared in Calgary Sun, Monday, June 4, 1990

Origin: GENERATIONS BBS of Calgary, Alberta (403) 251-5540 (1:134/8.0)

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My favorite (and easy) jerky recipe is:

1 part liquid smoke 2 parts worchestershire sauce 4 parts soy sauce black pepper to taste

trim favorite meat and slice 1/4' thick marinate overnight and dry. I have a dehydrator, but the Joy of Cooking says you can dry jerky in the oven by setting in to 170 degrees and hanging the strips from the racks. I haven't tried this. I assume you need to prop the door open to release the moisture.

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Atlast, the long awaited continuation to the jerky summary. It seems that a few people couldn't wait for the rest of the recepies (sp?) and got a bit...over-anxious...so...here's the rest of what i have...again, many thanks to Bob for sending 'em to me...

Curried Jerky 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger 1/16 tsp ground cloves 1/8 tsp ground cumin

Frontier Jerky 1 tsp salt 2 tbs liquid smoke 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

Great Jerky 3/4 tsp salt 2 tbs soy sauce 1/4 tsp cracked pepper 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce 1 tbs brown sugar 1 clove crushed garlic

Teriyaki Jerky 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/8 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp ground ginger 2 tbs brown sugar

and finally....Bob's Own Beef Jerky I haven't tried this one yet, but i think i will when i have the time to go hunting around for more spices...

Bob's Beef Jerky

4 tbs soy sauce 4 tbs Worcestershire sauce 4 tbs teriyaki sauce 1/2 tsp liquid smoke 1 tbs corriander 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tbs ketchup (he uses hot ketchup)

He suggests playing around with it. Adding more pepper or garlic. Maybe a bit of red wine. Or anything else that sounds good.

Anyway....that's it...so far I've been pretty happy with things so far. And the dried fruit is great too...the fresh stuff works best. Much better than processed stuff from a can.

Anyway...have fun...I did.