Beef jerky

(artin_t) #1

Does anyone have a beef jerky recipe or any tips on making it. Thanks

(Jan) #2

I used to make it all the time. Working on a good recipe now - seems like it’s not “bendy” without the sugar, so trying a few ideas to remedy this. One interesting outcome - if you slice the beef really thin & use no sugar, you come out with beef chips! Not what I was going for, but pretty tasty & very crispy.

(artin_t) #3

Beef chips sounds good. Thank you

(Retta Stephenson) #4

Here’s one: http://healthyrecipesblogs.com/2015/11/10/beef-jerky-recipe/

I have a recipe (somewhere) from cookbook author Lisa Marshall that uses hamburger. That makes it very tender, and not hard to chew. If I can locate it, I’ll post it here. It’s my favorite.

(Jan) #5

Ok, partial success.

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I think I uploaded 3 images, but I’m kinda tech-challenged…
Maple- chili sugar-free jerky: chewy, crispy, sweet & hot. Not what I was going for, but pretty darn tasty anyways. I used ~5# beef Chuck, marinated overnight in ~ 1C sf maple syrup, 1C soy sauce (Aloha), 1/2 C sake, 1/2C chili-garlic paste (the Chinese one with the rooster on the label), a large wad of fresh ground ginger (1/4C? I like ginger), maybe 1/2C chopped Nira (Japanese garlic chives). Dried about 24 hrs in dehydrator set to 115*F. Not as flexible or chewy as my usual carb-loaded teriyaki jerky, but not as brittle as the last trial. My non-Keto family liked it almost as much as I do.

(Jan) #6

Ok, let me try uploading the other 2 images again:

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IMG_20161228_121953_hdr.jpg1440×2560 1.16 MB

I think it worked!
One thing I forgot to mention - if you want your jerky to last a while without refrigeration, it’s important to trim off most of the fat (I know, right!) The drying is what preserves the jerky, along with salt. But fat doesn’t dry out, 'cause it’s fat, not water. Fat goes rancid. Won’t kill you, but will make the jerky kinda funky.

Source for rendered fats resulting in increased triglycerides
(joe churchill ) #7

I found this recipe that uses ground beef

Would you think it would work?

Also, about the fat… why would pemmican not go rancid? isn’t it 40% fat by volume???

#8

Pemmican is made with rendered fat mixed with pulverized (ground) desiccated beef. The rendering of the fat changes it’s form to one that is shelf stable.

(joe churchill ) #9

Good insights!!! that helped me learn more about home-made shelf-stable saturated fats.

Definitely appears that moisture is the cause of spoilage and rancidity.

#10

@Jan I saw a recipe today called Dr. Pepper Jalapeno jerky and was wondering if diet dr. pepper would work instead? I want to make some jerky soon-ish. I don’t have a meat slicer so I dread doing the cutting part.

Your recipe sounds good. I might try that first.

(Jan) #11

@Kyz, good question. In my experience, it seems that the sugar in traditional jerky recipes tends to make the meat more flexible when it’s dry. Diet Dr Pepper may make a crispier slice than the regular stuff. I don’t mind this meat chip result, but my non-Keto husband isn’t thrilled (although he still eats all my jerky!) If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
As for slicing by hand, it’s not a problem if you have a decent knife. Freeze the meat in chunks that are easy to slice - I usually square off the bottom, and cut everything into large rectangles that my “good” knife can handle. Take it out of the freezer half an hour before you want to slice it, or let it sit in the fridge for several hours or even overnight. You want it slightly frozen all the way through, but just a bit softened. Watch your fingers, though - it’s easy to cut yourself when your fingers are cold & can’t feel the blade.
By the way, I’ve had some really good success in substituting erythritol for sugar in traditional jerky recipes.

#12

Thanks! I’m going to try to get some started soon. Maybe this weekend if I can get everything lined out. :smile:

#13

This recipe looked really good. Don’t have any zevia so will just put a little sweetener of my own in there. Buying Keto Carne all the time will be too pricey. :slight_smile:

#14

I make jerky all the time, and I just use the standard recipe (molasses and brown sugar). I dont believe the meat absorbs much of the sugar in the marinade, and because very little of the marinade is actually used i feel the sugar content is negligible. I eat it all the time and have not seen any adverse carb results, even on higher carb days. I think the sugar is part of the process, and if it is not used then the results will be different.

Also, u dont need a dehydrator, a convection oven on 170° for 4-6 hrs or conventional on 175° for 10-12 hrs will do.