Vegan’s beware, you probably won’t be interested in this post. I have had a love for beef jerky since I was a kid. I remember going to the local liquor stores and they had that big old jar of it right up at the counter. It was all pretty much the same back then and I never really thought about why there was ever a need for beef jerky, I just loved it.
It turns out that back in the old days (and I mean pretty old days). People didn’t have refrigerators so after they killed a beast that they could eat for a week or so they’d cut their meat and hang it up and smoke it after usually soaking it in some kind of marinade to soften up the tougher bits and add a bit of flavor. Then when the time came to use it they’d cut off a hunk or two and throw it in the stew pot.
Ok, enough of the history lesson, though I think I will try that some day. Nowadays you can find all kinds of beef jerky out there. Hell there’s a lot that isn’t even made with beef. There’s turkey, venison, ostrich, pork, kangaroo, even alligator jerky. My obsession led me one day to discover that my mother had purchased a food dehydrator from a friend for $10. I started googling “Beef Jerky Recipe” and found a few I liked and gave it a shot.
First time was pretty good, but a little too hot for most people so I started playing around and modifying the recipe. Well it turns out I think I hit the nail on the head this time. Out of a little over 3lbs of london broil I ended up with a pound and a half of beef jerky that everyone keeps telling me I should be selling. Now normally I like to share my recipes, but I’m thinking that this time I shouldn’t because it might be like the Colonel telling everyone how to make his chicken.
The best part about my jerky is that it is very low in saturated fat, low in sodium, high in potassium and believe it or not, I’ve found a way to make the beef have a bit of a smokey bacon aftertaste without the use of bacon or other pork products. There’s also no preservatives to it which is probably why everyone likes it so much. People rarely get to eat fresh jerky. As a matter of fact my first mistake was bringing the bag into work as after trying it they’ve all devoured it and now I have to go make more.
Now I just have read up on food marketing so I don’t have the health department knocking at my door. 🙂