EZ Bacon and Beef Jerky (Biltong)


(Raj Seth) #1

TLDR? Method summary:
mix spices, crushed red peppers, garlic, coriander, cumin, ginger, salt, vinegar.
Marinate bacon and beef strips in spices - or mix into ground beef.
Dehydrate for a few hours.
Eat.

Why:

Are you tired of all the fat rendering out of your bacon as it cooks?
Are you looking for a better version of purse bacon - longer purse life without refrigeration?
Are you keen to have Jerky without Sugar or other “-ose” ingredients?
Do you want taste bud nirvana, without tending to a smoker for hours or days?

Look no further. I recently had Biltong - South African style dehydrated meat - in New Zealand. It was delectable.

So, I bought a dehydrator, with 8 levels of dehydrator trays for $110 from Amazon. NESCO FD-1018A, 1000 watts
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GN7O1PO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_MtiuCbEPZ6RJQ
I have been in Jerky heaven ever since

In all honesty though, I have been making a bastard child of jerky and biltong. Jerky is always smoked, while biltong is never smoked but air dried without heat over several days. I use the dehydrator for all my meats, and the lowest temperature it offers is 95dF, all the way up to 160dF.

How:

Read following 3 posts


Anyone use a food dehydrator?
Bacon Jerky aka Heaven
(Raj Seth) #2

Bacon Biltong / Jerky

Different spice blends I have tried, each for 1 lb of commercial bacon - I use Costco low sodium Bacon (regular become too salty)

Red HOT!

2T crushed red peppers
1T garlic powder
1 T cayenne
1/2 T splenda
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T water

Less Spicy

2T crushed red peppers
1T garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 T splenda
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Mexi Blend

1T garlic
1T ground cumin
1T crushed coriander
1/2 T ginger
3T vinegar
3T water

Western Blend (2lbs bacon)

1T garlic
1T ground black pepper
4T Simon & Garfunkel (ie 1T each parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme)
1T paprika
4T apple cider vinegar
2T water

Mix spice blend to a slurry consistency, mix into bacon strips, marination optional, layer into dehydrator tray, and let it rip.
160dF for 5-10 hours. take it out when it is a smidge softer than you desire. It will stiffen up as it cools.

This is the bacon I use, cut in half with shears
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Then separate each slice and layer in a bowl
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Prepare spice mixes
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IMG_0495 IMG_0496

Add vinegar and water as needed to make a slurry
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Then put slurry on top of bacon, schmeer it, and mix thoroughly
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Spread it out on the dehydrator
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Dehydrate for 5-10 hours at 160 dF (maximum on my unit)

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YUMMY!


Backpacking and keto
(Raj Seth) #3

Beef Biltong/Jerky

I bought 11 lbs of top Round and top Sirloin. Those two looked the least marbled :scream: and lean. My understanding is that lean beef dehydrates better. I question that a little, since I do bacon, and all the fat in that comes out great…
Have the butcher slice into 1/4" or so slices. Not too thin, but after the first batch, you will know what to do the next time.

I divided it into 4 parts and used the following blends - none of them came out particularly spicy. They all contained as a base:

2 T kosher salt
1/2 T Baking Soda
1 tsp Pink Curing Salts
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Add the baking soda at the end, since it will start bubbling with the vinegar.

For the Sirloin I used

2T crushed red pepper
2T coriander
1T ground cumin

2T crushed red pepper
2T garlic
1T ginger
extra 1/4 cup ACV

And for the round, I used:

2T crushed red pepper
1T Coriander
1T Splenda

2T S&G mix (equal parts by weight parsley sage rosemary & thyme - crushed together)
2T Paprika
1/2T Dill

Mix the beef slices with the spice slurry, cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
Lay onto the dehydrator plates.
IMG_0534

Dehydrate at 95 Fahrenheit for 8-12 hours.
Remove when they can still bend without breaking. They will continue to dry and stiffen after removal.

Top sirloin 1st

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Top sirloin 2nd

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Beef Top Round 1st

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Beef Top Round 2nd

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I sliced them into 1" wide strips with poultry shears, and put them in brown paper bags. If you put them in ziplock bags, after 2-3 weeks they start to taste like plastic. Internet advice is to only store in plastic if can be vacuum sealed. I have not verified that.


(Raj Seth) #4

Ground beef Biltong/Jerky

I used 5 lbs of ground beef - 93% lean - since that is what Costco sells.
I make the spice blend, make it into a slurry, and mix it thoroughly with the ground beef. No need to wait and marinate, since the spice mix in with the ground meat. I then roll it out into little flat pieces as shown below, and dehydrate.

I made little balls, 25-30 grams each.
IMG_0510

I then made a little log and rolled one log at a time in parchment paper.
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I put a pencil on either side to get a consistent thickness to the roll
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to get this kind of flat piece, which I could lay on the dehydrator plate
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Then set up the dehydrator to 160dF for 3-5 hours. End product:
IMG_0528 IMG_0529


(Charlie Kathopoulis) #5

@Rajseth that’s fantastic - I never thought of using bacon (can’t help slow people :slight_smile: ) - but I love jerky and we make it to go camping and hiking, and the kids pack it in their lunch boxes. I use our jerky when eating dips, or simply smear cream cheese on top. Our recipe is:

Dry Ingredients
1.5 teaspoon of rock salt
1.5 teaspoon of paprika (mild)
1.5 teaspoon onion powder
1.5 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons of 4 mix whole peppercorns
-Place in a Ninja Grinder and blitz

Wet ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of water.
-Mix these with the dry ingredients

We slice 700 grams of venison thin, place in a sealable bag with the ingredients, and marinate overnight in the fridge. Then into the dehydrator to your desired level (ours is usually 7 to 9 hours depending on the thickness of the venison cuts)


(Raj Seth) #6

@Charlz - we seem to have the same dehydrator. What temp setting do you use for venison for 7-9 hours?
I do my Bacon at 160 for 6-8 hours, and my ground beef at 90 for 4 hours and finish at 160 for 1.5 hours


(Charlie Kathopoulis) #7

My apologies Rajseth I have been away and work has been incredibly busy. I use the highest setting (the warmest and most air flow which on my machine is the 3rd setting). I can grab a photo for you if you like? My kids tend to pull some out a little earlier so the jerky is more chewy, whilst I like it with a little more crunch.


(JM) #8

I make good old South African Biltong on the regular but I have never seen bacon biltong… That sure does look interesting.

Are there any health concerns regarding using pork in this manner?


(Full Metal KETO AF) #9

The bacon has nitrates, I have seen pork jerky many times in stores, I would think it’s safe. Hasn’t killed Rajseth yet! :cowboy_hat_face:


(Diane) #10

:purple_heart::purple_heart::purple_heart::+1:t2::+1:t2::+1:t2:


(Raj Seth) #11

R.I.P. Rajseth Six feet under

:bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon: :bacon:
:bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon: :bacon:
:bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon: :bacon:
:bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon: :bacon:
:bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon: :bacon:
:bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon::bacon: :bacon: :bacon:
:bacon: :bacon: RajSeth :bacon: :bacon:

P.S. six feet of Bacon, of course :grin:


(Raj Seth) #12

Just made a 5 pound batch in 3 flavors. 95 for 4 hours, then 145 for 2 hours, then 1-3 hours more at 95 till it is to desired crispy goodness

No health issues - but then I also eat home made bacon raw (smoked, but not cooked) with no issues. I eat raw beef and raw eggs, and don’t lose sleep over undercooked anything. YMMV