Eating healthy meals and snacks is the new trend. Anyone thinking of jerky immediately thinks about the savory leathery pieces torn by their teeth when chewing. The chewy quality someone gets is achieved through slicing the entire muscle fibers with the grain. Ground beef jerky is a better alternative for anyone searching for easy to eat and swallow jerky. And while one can find many artisan brands out there that make beef jerky, making your own is easy and fun.
Normally, the perfect jerky is prepared using garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and silverside as the main ingredients. Silverside is the recommendable peace of meat for the preparation of jerky as it contains little fat. Jerky prepared using silverside is less likely to spoil. It is also a cheaper piece of meat which will save you a lot of money, taking that it will end up losing a good amount of weight once it dries. Slicing the piece of meat with the grain helps it stay in one piece.
Specialized tools for jerky preparation include jerky gun, meat slicer, and dehydrator while those that you can find at home are knives, wire racks, and smokers. Air fryers and ovens are better alternatives that can be used in place of smokers and dehydrators. A meat slicer is ideal for preparation of large jerky quantities, but knives can be used were a lesser amount is prepared. Round sticks are prepared using the jerky gun. Alternatively, you can place your ground meat between two pieces of plastic wrap prior to transfer to the wire rack.
Marination is the step that proceeds cooking. Pepper, salt, and garlic are perfect marination ingredients. Once your jerky is ready, its time to dry it and cook. Cooking is done through an oven or a desiccator. However, drying in the oven is easier and the most convenient method. Someone can also use air fryers which are alternative cooking methods. Hot air cooking in air fryers is faster. Furthermore, your jerky will be more crispy.
Once cooked, use a smoker to dry the meat. It is imperative to set the right smoker temperature before during. If you want your jerky tender and delicious, smoking is the best drying alternative. A better taste is achieved when drying in a smoker is done for more than four hours. Once dry, the jerky is ready for storage. If the jerky is firm, it means it is completely dry. Transfer the dried jerky into a dark and dry place.