I have a beef jerky problem, can you help?
July 9th, 2009
Lasorna asked:
I just read an article about boiling your meat before drying it just in case to kill bacteria or little bugs by the USDA. I went straight to marinating mine cause it’s my first time making jerky. My marinated jerky is in a ziplock bag right now. I have water boiling right now and am wondering if I should boil the bag with the meat for about a minute like the article says. What should I do? Please help! =>
I just read an article about boiling your meat before drying it just in case to kill bacteria or little bugs by the USDA. I went straight to marinating mine cause it’s my first time making jerky. My marinated jerky is in a ziplock bag right now. I have water boiling right now and am wondering if I should boil the bag with the meat for about a minute like the article says. What should I do? Please help! =>
I think you’d be fine this one time if you dont boil it. Its already marinating!
If your are going to up it in the oven and cook it a while, you should be fine.
I make beef jerky all the time and never boiled it.
This may sound odd but the best jerky i make is from ground beef, yes ground beef, find a good ready to use spice mix and press the ground beef into small thin discs bout the size of a soda can top. then use a dehydrator.
The USDA recommends cooking the beef jerky at 160 degrees for the first 4 hours and then reducing the temperature to 130 degrees during the dehydrating process.
(it doesn’t say to boil it first) so I think you will be ok
Being a Chef Instructor who also teaches sanitation you do not have to boil the meat as long as its in a marinade and its refrigerated you will be fine until you get ready to dry it and make jerky. don’t boil it it will come out horrible
Aside from obtaining the correct cooking temperatures, all the salt will kill alot of the bacteria also.
I figure you would boil the meat BEFORE marinating it. I have made jerky in a dehydrator. The last batch wasn’t quite done, still a little soft in parts. The dog liked it. We have also made kangaroo jerky, it is already in a marinade, just have to slice it up. Don’t slice your meat too thick or too thin. It’s worth the effort, so good luck. I think the meat in the ziplock bag would just float on the top in your pot. I don’t boil the meat either!