MANHATTAN, Kan. – Making beef or venison jerky is becoming increasingly popular; it’s relatively easy, allows seasoning the dried, lightweight meat product to your taste, and can offer a cost-savings on food, including snacks.
Mistakes in the process can, however, compromise the quality of the product and cause foodborne illness, said Karen Blakeslee, K-State Research and Extension food scientist.
With beef, temperature is an issue, said Blakeslee, who explained that home dehydrators typically heat to 140 degrees F, which is not hot enough to kill bacteria such as E. coli O 157:H7, that may be present on raw meat.
Meats must be heated to 160 degrees F to kill bacteria, Blakeslee said.
One way to resolve the issue is to marinate raw meat strips (covered) in the refrigerator for one to two hours or overnight. (Recipe included with this story.)
After marinating, transfer the meat and marinade to a large pan or pot approved for stovetop use, and heat the meat and marinade to 160 degrees F.
“Use a food thermometer to test temperature,” Blakeslee said. Once the optimum temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat source, and:
1) Remove meat from the marinade, and drain it on clean, absorbent food-grade paper towels; discard marinade (out of the reach of children and pets).
2) Place meat slices on drying rack close together, but not touching or overlapping.
3) Follow dehydrator manufacturer’s directions. Drying times will vary with the size and thickness of the meat strips and preliminary processing steps. For example, if meat strips have been heated in a marinade to prevent foodborne illness, begin checking jerky after three hours; a test piece should crack, but not break, when bent. If done, pat beads of oil with an absorbent towel and cool.
If not heated in marinade, drying will take longer (10 to 24 hours); checking doneness periodically is recommended.
4) Cool before storing in a clean, airtight container such as a glass jar with a lid, heavyweight plastic food storage bag or vacuum package before storing at room temperature for up to two weeks. To extend shelf life, label and date containers and refrigerate or freeze them.
If meat strips were not marinated, after drying, lay meat strips close together, but not touching, on a non-stick baking sheet, and place it in an oven preheated to 275 degrees F for 10 minutes, or longer, if strips are thicker than one-fourth inch.
Either method can be effective in killing potentially harmful bacteria, the food scientist said.
If using an oven to complete the dehydrating process, Blakeslee advised checking to make sure the oven has an internal fan to circulate the air in the drying process.
Venison also can host the Trichinella parasite.
To eliminate the potential parasite, Blakeslee recommends cutting the meat into small portions (6 inches or less in thickness), and wrapping, labeling, and dating the meat before freezing it at 0 degrees F for 30 days, before making jerky.
After freezing, Blakeslee recommended placing venison in a pan or on a tray with a lip in the refrigerator to thaw before making jerky.
The food scientist also reminds hunters to take note of entry and exit wounds, as depending on where the deer was shot, meat may be contaminated with fecal matter. If so, it should not be used for making jerky, and should be reserved for recipes that require more thorough cooking at high temperatures capable of killing bacteria that may be present.
Venison should be cooled as quickly as possible to avoid bacterial contamination, and cut into parts, said Blakeslee, who recommends safe food handling with raw and cooked foods:
* Wash hands with soap and hot running water before and after handling foods.
* Use clean utensils for each task to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
* Keep raw foods, including meats and fresh game, away from cooked foods to avoid cross contamination.
* Keep work area clean; try not to splash fresh meat juices in kitchen or other work areas.
* Partially frozen meat will typically be easier to slice; cutting across the grain of the meat may yield a more tender product. Slice meat strips no more than one-fourth inch thick; trim and discard fat, which can become rancid.
* Follow directions for treating meat to reduce the risks of food-borne bacteria and parasites.
* Rotate racks in dehydrator during drying so air can circulate; expect the meat to shrink.
* Wrap and label preserved food products; jerky can be stored in a clean, airtight container, such as a canning jar, for up to two weeks at room temperature. To extend shelf life, label, date and refrigerate or freeze beef or venison jerky.
Blakeslee does not recommend air- or sun-drying. She explained that neither method reaches temperatures effectively enough to kill potentially harmful bacteria, and products will not dry properly due to high humidity.
Food preservation specialists recommend lean beef, pork, venison or smoked turkey breast as good candidates for making jerky. Raw poultry is not recommended because of the flavor and texture of the finished product.
Using ground meat, such as ground beef, can increase food safety risks because the grinding process increases surface areas capable of attracting foodborne microorganisms, Blakeslee said. Using ground meat also requires a shaped press or mold to form the strip.
More information on food preservation is available at K-State Research and Extension offices, the Rapid Response Center, and at the National Center for Home Food Preservation located at the University of Georgia, Drying Jerky.
Karen Blakeslee, a K-State Research and Extension food scientist, is coordinator for the extension’s Rapid Response Center, a food and food safety questions.
Sidebar or box: Jerky Marinade
Please read the recipe thoroughly before beginning to make sure all ingredients are on hand.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 pounds lean meat (beef, pork or venison)
¼ (one-fourth) cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ (one-fourth) teaspoon each of black pepper and garlic powder
½ (one half) teaspoon onion powder
1 (one) teaspoon hickory smoke-flavored salt
Directions:
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and hickory smoke-flavored salt; mix well.
Place strips of meat in a shallow pan and cover with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight. (Please note: Products marinated for several hours may be more salty than some might prefer.)
If heating meat prior to drying to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, do so at the end of marinating time.
To heat, bring strips and marinade to a boil; continue boiling for 5 (five) minutes before draining and drying.
If strips are more than ¼ (one-fourth) inch thick, the length of boiling time may need to be increased. Using a food thermometer to check temperature (160 degrees F) is recommended.
Recipe Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation, University of Georgia
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