Filter
Top Products
21
Drying Meat, 70°C
Dehydrating Meat
Here are some steps to ensure meat is
dehydrated safely:
• Choose lean meat without much marbling
(fat distributed throughout meat).
IMPORTANT: Meat must be of the highest
quality and marinated on day of purchase.
• Marinate the meat in its whole form and
slice after marinating. The marinade
needs to be salty (see Beef jerky recipe)
as this helps draw moisture from the meat
reducing the water content and making the
meat safe to consume.
• Store the marinated meat in the fridge for
up to 12 hours. Drain well.
• The meat needs to be sliced thinly and
each slice needs to be of equal thickness,
preferably 5mm. You can achieve this with
a deli-style meat slicer.
• Sometimes partially freezing the meat first,
and then slicing it makes slicing easier.
Then thaw meat before arranging on trays
to dry.
• Always slice the meat across the grain.
Meat sliced with the grain falls apart and
can have a chewy texture.
• Dehydrated meat needs to be stored in an
airtight container in the fridge for up to
3-4 weeks. If wanting to store for a longer
period, label, date and freeze for up to 3
months. Thaw in fridge overnight.
• Once the drying time is complete, cool
beef to room temperature and pat surface
dry with a paper towel to remove any
excess surface moisture and ensure
keeping times are safe.
IMPORTANT: Meat must be stored in the
fridge or freezer only. Storing meat at room
temperature could promote the growth of
bacteria if not dried thoroughly.
Beef jerky
Makes: 250g
Preparation: 10 mins (+ 12 hours marinading time)
Drying: 5 hrs
500g beef fillet or sirloin, excess fat trimmed
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1. Place beef in a shallow glass dish. Pour
over combined sauces and salt. Cover
with plastic wrap and place in the fridge,
turning occasionally, for 12 hours to
marinade. Drain. Discard marinade.
2. Use a large sharp knife to cut beef fillet
across the grain into 5mm-thick slices.
Arrange beef on drying racks. Dry on 70˚C
for 5 hours, rotating racks halfway through
drying process, for 5 hours.