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Originally Posted by AvsJerk
I've wondered how they work for beef jerky. Do you brine the beef or something to preserve it? Wouldn't you essentially end up with a piece of dehydrated raw beef? Seems like that could be dangerous for food born illnesses.
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Most food dehydrators use a combination of air and heat to dehydrate the food, so the food is partially cooked, partially dried.
Alton Brown has a pretty delicious beef jerky recipe from Good Eats, although his method involved a home-made dehydrator made out of air filters and an industrial fan (no heat, just air):
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Beef Jerky
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Prep Time:20 minInactive Prep Time:8 hr 0 minCook Time:12 hr 0 min Level ifficult Serves:10 to 12 ounces
Ingredients
Directions
Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.
Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.
Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
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