What to do with beef jerky

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What to do with beef jerky

Postby scubabob » Sat 26 Jul, 2008 11:23 pm

i have been practicing with all sorts of dried foods and such and have bought some beef jerky. i havent got around to opening the pack yet and have a couple of questions.

Can you 'rehydrate' this as it were and use it in soups or stews or do you eat it as is? When you open the pack, how long does it last 'out in the open", in that i mean, will atmospheric moisture get into it and start to turn it back into meat, hence will it go off within a certain time? Anything else out there i may need to know? All info appreciated by me and my tummy
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Son of a Beach » Sun 27 Jul, 2008 8:54 am

G'day Bob,

Jerky does not rehydrate well (the pieces are usually too large) and should be eaten as is, just as a snack. I don't know how long it lasts once opened, but my home-made jerky has lasted for at least three weeks (before I finished it - it never went off).

There's a couple of good jerky recipe on the forum already, if you're interested in making your own.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby whiskeylover » Fri 08 Aug, 2008 1:03 pm

Not quite right that it doesn't rehydrate well. The trick is with large slabs of jerky to cut it very finely across the grain and then it will be surprisingly tender and non-chewy. We always take a very sharp knife. We buy some made locally (near the Salmon Farm, near Deloraine) which is good quality and tastes fantastic. It will last for ages too, it's basically preserved by the process so I would expect a fair while out of it if you keep out the moisture - I haven't worked out a time as ours gets eaten before I get to wondering how long it will last. Once it is opened it deteriorates quicker but if it's vacpacked you could take it on a longer walk and save it for the last few days snacks along the way or to satisfy your meat cravings at meal times!

Edit: Woops - Mr Whisky tells me I'm talking about Biltong which is slightly different, a South African style and more of a slab. Even good through noodles, 3-4 minutes was enough to soften it.
medicinal purposes only of course
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby geoffmallo » Mon 25 Aug, 2008 11:43 am

I've just gone through my first ever batch of home made biltong (south african dried meat). We used to buy it but at >$60 kg it was too expensive. It's very easy to make and doesn't have a large set up costs. Tastes very good and last a long time. In my excitement of making my own biltong I forgot to weight the completed product to know exactly how much weight is saved by drying it. I think it's at least 60-70% but there's absolutely no science behind that! I'll let you all know next time I dry some.

I've blogged about how to do it. See http://mycampgear.com/2008/08/11/how-yo ... dried-meat if you want to try it out.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Joe » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 7:34 pm

geoffmallo wrote:I've just gone through my first ever batch of home made biltong (south african dried meat). We used to buy it but at >$60 kg it was too expensive. It's very easy to make and doesn't have a large set up costs. Tastes very good and last a long time. In my excitement of making my own biltong I forgot to weight the completed product to know exactly how much weight is saved by drying it. I think it's at least 60-70% but there's absolutely no science behind that! I'll let you all know next time I dry some.

I've blogged about how to do it. See http://mycampgear.com/2008/08/11/how-yo ... dried-meat if you want to try it out.



I absolutely love biltong...much prefer it to traditional jerky. However its hard to find and also exxy...thanks for the howto there geoff. I had read a similar howto a few years ago on another forum and been tempted...this might be the encouragement i need
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 9:19 pm

Jees the Forth Butcher is going to miss out big time eh! I think the Billtong instructions are fantastic but its so much easier to plug in my dehydrator and turn out Jerky but to each their own and look forward to sampling your results twf.c.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby tasadam » Mon 22 Sep, 2008 6:38 pm

corvus wrote:Jees the Forth Butcher......<snip>

I heard he was selling up anyway.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Clownfish » Wed 29 Jul, 2009 9:29 pm

I got some biltong to try from Black Forest smallgoods in Invermay.

So ... does it rehydrate OK, does anyone know?

I was thinking it might make a good meal, chopped up and served with some of the Ainsley Harriot or similar couscous.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Wed 29 Jul, 2009 11:35 pm

Clownfish,
I make my own Jerky/ Biltong and it does not to the best of my knowledge rehydrate as it is raw meat "cooked" in the marinade however I will sacrifice a strip of my Jerky to soak overnight and will report back.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Wed 29 Jul, 2009 11:50 pm

Couscous,
I dont use the expensive "named brands" the San Remo with the appropriate amount of Massel Gourmet Plus Stock Powder and a little olive oil really works for me (feed back from fellow member, mine was better than than "Harriotts" :) )
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Son of a Beach » Thu 30 Jul, 2009 8:44 am

Good biltong and jerky is too good to waste on cooking! :)

If it doesn't taste great raw on it's own then you need to find a better recipe (or another supplier). ;)

Seriously though I understand that there may be times when it would be good to be able to add some to another meal as marinated meat. I've not tried it but would be interested to hear if it works. I'd guess you'd need to cut it up very finely.

On another subject...

Similar to Corvus I pack some plain cous cous in a bag with some stock and some dried veges. Then when out bush I just add boiling water and wait a few minutes and it's better than the packet mixes - especially if you use home dried veges. Adding a bit of butter after rehydrating is good too.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Clownfish » Thu 30 Jul, 2009 12:16 pm

Corvus, as the barmaid said to the bishop, don't waste your own slab o'meat!

I was going to try dicing up some squares of the chunk I bought to try, soaking them in hot water for a while, then see how the go maybe fried.

The kids weren't too keen on the biltong, unfortunately, but they did like the dried wallaby sausage. Kind of like a giant twiggy stick.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Thu 30 Jul, 2009 5:15 pm

Clownfish wrote:Corvus, as the barmaid said to the bishop, don't waste your own slab o'meat!

I was going to try dicing up some squares of the chunk I bought to try, soaking them in hot water for a while, then see how the go maybe fried.

The kids weren't too keen on the biltong, unfortunately, but they did like the dried wallaby sausage. Kind of like a giant twiggy stick.


I duly carried out the experiment with only one small slice soaked in boiling water left overnight reheated in Microwave at lunch time,result loss of the good marinade flavour and meat with texture of half chewed jerky.
Conclusion only if really needed as IMHO it is a waste of a "really good" jerky :wink:
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Clownfish » Sat 01 Aug, 2009 3:41 pm

I tested out some chunks soaked in hot water for about 1/2 hour, then pan fried.

Not too bad. Very crisp on the outside, and kind of like a very dry ham steak in flavour.

The wife thought it was an improvement, actually.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Sat 01 Aug, 2009 5:56 pm

clownfish ,
That was game !! so what is your conclusion will you or wont you :lol:
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Clownfish » Sat 01 Aug, 2009 6:19 pm

That was game !!


No, it was beef.

boom-boom!

Not sure if I will or not. The kids aren't so keen, but then if they're hungry and far enough away from civilization, their scruples tend to go out the window ...
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby jaco » Sat 12 Sep, 2009 7:19 am

For the raw (undried) product, biltong should not cost you more than $8.00 a kilo to make, you can even make it by using a cardboard box. I've made meself a biltong box from wood from an old wardrobe, a bunnings fan and desk light, total cost $15. Much cheaper than a dehydrator! The shops in Australia are a real rip off.

As previous members said, dont rehydrate it, its a waste of good biltong!

When hiking we have it as part of breakfast, snacks, and lunch. You can also grind it finely to make a powder, which is great on bread, or salty biscuits with butter, margarine, or spread cheese.

Biltong lasts forever if you get the moisture content down low enough, which means hanging it longer in the box. If you add a few other bits and pieces to the "traditional" recipe, it will never go mouldy. You can have your biltong "wet", about 3-4 days drying, which is more tastier, softer, heavier, and which can grow mould; or "dry", about 5-7 days drying, lighter, harder, which can last for ever, and is ideal for hiking.

Just keep in mind not to try and make it in summer, its too hot and tends to rot. But if you live in Tassie, that is perhaps another matter.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Son of a Beach » Sat 12 Sep, 2009 8:15 am

jaco wrote:When hiking we have it as part of breakfast, snacks, and lunch. You can also grind it finely to make a powder, which is great on bread, or salty biscuits with butter, margarine, or spread cheese.


I love my biltong, but I've never heard of grinding it. What do you grind it with? This could be an interesting alternative for lunches.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby jaco » Sat 12 Sep, 2009 7:05 pm

Cut it fine and use a coffeegrinder.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Sat 12 Sep, 2009 11:17 pm

Coffee Grinder eh!!
I like my Jerky to chew on and non beefy coffee :lol:
I am chowing down on the Jerky I did not eat on our Meston /not/Meston walk and it looks and feels like it could be ground down however I believe there may be some differences between what you "Africans" call Bitong and the "Jerky" I make.
Can you post your method please and I will share mine for anyone interested .
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby jaco » Sun 13 Sep, 2009 12:31 pm

2 parts salt to one part sugar; and 2 parts coriander to 1 part pepper - thats Jaco's easy recipe...

Mix about 4 cups of salt with 2 cups of sugar. Roast about half a cup of coriander and a quarter cup of pepper in the oven, till the coriander gets nice and brown. Grind about three quarters of the coriander and pepper fine, and chuck in with the suger and salt mix. Add about 1 tablespoon of bicarb of soda if you are in a wet and hot climate, it prevents mould. Here in the Riverina I dont have a need to do that.

The rest of the coriander should be ground not that fine, just breaking the coriander seeds in half. Keep this seperate to sprinkle on the biltonge just before you hang it. A coffee grinder works fine for this grinding...

Cut the beef in strips, normally you would try to cut with the thread of the meat. Take a plastic container, sprinkle your salt mix on the bottom, pack a layer of meat so they are nice and tight in the container, like two Springboks in a Chinese 2 man tent. Sprinkle some Worcestershire sauce and vinegar (brown or white) on it. Sprinkle some of the salt mix on top of it. Pack some more meat, and again sprinkle first with the Worcestershire and vinegar, salt mix on top, and repeat process. After 12 hours, change the bottom meat to the top, or if you are lucky to have a container that has a waterproof lid, just turn your container upside down. I have never found a container that can keep Jaco's biltong brine in...

After another 12 hours, take the biltonge out, rinse it in a mixture of vinegar and water (half and half), sprinkle it with the coarser coriander and pepper, and hang it to dry.

My biltong box is well ventilated, and all the ventilation holes are covered with gauze. I find it especially important that there be covered ventilation on the top of the box, so that the hot and humid air can escape. My box has an el cheapo desk fan and desk light in, and with this it takes 3-4 days to dry to a "wet biltong" state, and 1-2 days longer to be really dry.

It can seem to be a long process, but by preparing larger quantities of the spices as in my instructions, you make the spice only once every two months, if you make a few kilo's every week like I do.

With the spice not costing much, and getting the meat at $6.00 (for sirloin or rump), I think the shops are overcharging. And comparing this to the price of the Ozzie jerky, it is even more shocking.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Sun 13 Sep, 2009 6:10 pm

jaco,
Thanks for that ,it looks like a great method/ recipe but it looks like I will be sticking to my Jerky recipe which only takes at most a couple of days to achieve the end product using my dehydrator.

Recipe,
I use a heart smart (no fat) Girallo roast for this around 1kg cut in four lenghtwise then across the grain about 5mm thick.
Marinade 80 ml Soy sauce -80ml Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce-25 ml Tomato Sauce -25 ml BBQ Sauce-1 Tablespoon grated green ginger- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper-2 cloves or more crushed garlic -1 tablespoon Curry powder or Cajun seasoning (I prefer curry powder)-1 teaspoon salt. (you can add 25ml Brandy ,Vodka ,Scotch or even dry Sherry to this )
Method
In a non metallic bowl mix your meat with the Marinade and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6 hours ) drain and dry on trays at min 55c for about 6 hours (more or less)
I have also used Low Salt Corned Silverside with fat removed for this with similar results(Niks Suggestion)
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby jaco » Sun 13 Sep, 2009 7:06 pm

Corvus,

There is a big difference between our recipes - when you sit on a trail eating my African biltong, you can hear the lions roar, the hippos snorting, the fish eagle's cry, and the roar of the crowds when the Springboks win the Tri Nations.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Sun 13 Sep, 2009 7:33 pm

jaco,
Would love to hear the Lions roar et all however I just enjoy overnight the call of the Boobook Owl ,
screech of the argumentative possums and the scream of the Devils .
No on land predators other than Crocks and I have no inclination to go where they are :)
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby michael_p » Wed 28 Apr, 2010 9:09 pm

One of the dads at my daughters school is from South Africa and he makes his own Biltong at home using his own spice mix. It is so good I have started salivating just thinking of it.
Mmmm....Biltong.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Liamy77 » Sat 08 May, 2010 12:01 am

if we were meant to rehydrate jerky no one woulda invented salamis! but then i tend to carry about a half ton of food....
seriously though these foods were invented pre-refrigeration to keep foodstuffs and i have eaten 2 year old jerky (without knowing it at the time) and couldn't tell the difference - didnt even have to spend a day or two diggin little holes in private afterwards either :oops:
A friend of mine is making his with 'Tasmanian pepper' or 'mountain pepper' (T. lanceolata, often referred to as Drimys lanceolata or T. aromatica) it was the original pepperbush used by colonial Australians. It has large peppery berries which are also high in antioxidants.it is not very strong apparently and can use a bit of cayenne etc i'm told - Will try and con him into giving up some for a taste test when i catch up after christmas... a trade for home brew perry should work.... hmmmm [drool]
Last edited by Liamy77 on Sat 08 May, 2010 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby Liamy77 » Sat 08 May, 2010 12:02 am

michael_p wrote:One of the dads at my daughters school is from South Africa and he makes his own Biltong at home using his own spice mix. It is so good I have started salivating just thinking of it.
Mmmm....Biltong.

Can ya post his recipe?
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby corvus » Sat 19 Feb, 2011 3:58 pm

Re: What to do with beef jerky
by corvus » Sun 13 Sep, 2009 6:10 pm


"Recipe,
I use a heart smart (no fat) Girallo roast for this around 1kg cut in four lenghtwise then across the grain about 5mm thick.
Marinade 80 ml Soy sauce -80ml Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce-25 ml Tomato Sauce -25 ml BBQ Sauce-1 Tablespoon grated green ginger- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper-2 cloves or more crushed garlic -1 tablespoon Curry powder or Cajun seasoning (I prefer curry powder)-1 teaspoon salt. (you can add 25ml Brandy ,Vodka ,Scotch or even dry Sherry to this )
Method
In a non metallic bowl mix your meat with the Marinade and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6 hours ) drain and dry on trays at min 55c for about 6 hours (more or less)
I have also used Low Salt Corned Silverside with fat removed for this with similar results(Niks Suggestion)
"

You may want to try this one it works for me and mine all of the time and you would have most if not all ingredients in your pantry :)
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Re: What to do with beef jerky

Postby John Sheridan » Sat 30 Jul, 2011 3:19 am

I bought Some Jack Links Beef Snacks, it takes Ok I guess, but I have never eaten any other brand, is this crap I am eating :)


I can see eating it as a snack on the trail.


What other brands are on sale in the supermarkets, this is the only one I could find.

Cheers.
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What to do with beef jerky

Postby Bluegum Mic » Sat 30 Jul, 2011 8:50 am

Whilst I carry jerky and or biltong on a walk to graze on (I love the stuff) I have also used it in a recipe that involves rehydrating. I bring a cup of rice, dehydrated peas, corn, onion (and any other dehydrated vege or egg) and throw some of my jerky in (the smaller pieces). I then cook using the reduction method and at the end add soy sauce, kecap manis, sweet chilli (usually premixed and in a little container). Makes a nice little fried rice/Nasi goreng style dish.
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