Many housewives, and sometimes even male chefs, decide to try cooking at home jerky. This product has many advantages, which can be attributed to:
• Natural meat - no preservatives or chemical additives are used;
• Convenience - in case of unexpected guests, the hostess will have something to offer;
• Savings - you no longer have to run to the store for sausage every day, when at home in the fridge lies no less tasty, but more healthy meat.
If the technology of cooking dried meat is observed, the finished product can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time and this will not affect the taste of the meat.
Dried meat - food preparation
Practically any meat is suitable for drying - pork, chicken, beef and much more. In each case, the peculiarity of the meat is taken into account, which directly affects the time of "aging" of the product. The value should be given to spices. They give meat flavor and help mask the odors characteristic of a particular meat product.
Recipe 1: Cured Meat (Pork)
Pork is best served dried. Despite the fact that it is a fatty meat, when dried, the combination of fatty layers with meat forms an interesting extraordinary taste.
Ingredients Required:
• fillet of pork tenderloin - 3 kg;
• coarse salt - 500 g;
• gauze;
• spices - cumin, bay leaf, black pepper, dill, basil, coriander.
Cooking method:
The method of curing pork meat is simple and even those who for the first time decided to entwine meat at home will be able to cope with it. So what do we need? To begin, clean the pork fillet from the films and veins. Next, without sparing the salt, carefully rub the salt into the meat. Now take time for the salting. We lay out the pork tenderloin in a tray and send it to a cool dark place for three days. Please note that twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening, the meat must be turned over.
Three days are over. We take out meat and thoroughly clean out excess salt layers. Getting down to the spices. It is important that you can use other spices when dried, even if they are not indicated in the recipe. It should be fragrant herbs that can share their properties with dried meat. In a small mortar mix the selected spices. Prepare an adequate supply of gauze. You can proceed to the "massage". Carefully and stubbornly rub the spices into the meat, do not spare the strength and seasonings. Ready meat left tied with a gauze bandage, fasten it all with threads and hang in an upright position. In the summer, you can hang the meat on the balcony, better on the non-solar side. In winter, however, the meat is dried in the kitchen next to the battery. It remains the most difficult - to wait until the meat is ready. Depending on the thickness of the pork tenderloin, this will take about a week. After a few days, you can remove the bandage and taste the meat. Juicy and aromatic meat indicates that the curing process has passed in accordance with all regulatory requirements.
Recipe 2: Jerky (beef)
As you know, beef meat is more dietary than pork. This product concentrates less cholesterol, which allows people to eat beef to follow a diet.
Ingredients Required:
• beef tenderloin, small in diameter - 2 kg;
• sea salt;
• black pepper;
• dry spices at the discretion of hostesses.
Cooking method:
First, we note why coarse salt is recommended for drying? Fine salt is absorbed too quickly, and in very large quantities. As a result, jerky turns salty. So, we select a tray in which the beef tenderloin fits well. In this vessel, mix the salt with the pepper. Put the meat in a tray and process it well with salt. Next, close the dishes tightly with cling film and place them in a cool place for 12 hours. After these hours, the meat should be well cleaned of salt, you can even slightly wash the tenderloin. Dry the beef with paper towels, and then wipe thoroughly with a mixture of selected spices. Only dry herbs can be included. You can also buy ready-made seasonings for dried meat. The meat seasoned with spices is wrapped with either a thin towel or a gauze bandage. Beef for 7 days left in a well-ventilated room, who has a basement, can store meat there. Every day, beef should be turned to the other side. In a week you can enjoy fragrant dried beef.
Recipe 3: Duck jerky
The recipe is considered on the example of a duck, but you can use the described method with respect to chicken, goose and other poultry. The duck breast is subjected to the drying process. It is here that a larger stock of meat is concentrated.
Ingredients Required:
• duck breast - 3 pcs .;
• coarse sea salt;
• black pepper peas;
• rosemary, basil, dill, thyme;
• 50 ml - wine or brandy;
• gauze.
Cooking method:
Duck skin is not served drying, for this we clean the breast from the skin and layers of fat. In a small pan, mix the salt with the ground peas. In the vessel add wine or brandy, at your discretion. It remains to roll in the mixture of duck breasts, and carefully sprinkle everything on top with selected spices. After the meat is wrapped tightly with cling film and stored in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours. During this time, the meat will absorb the aroma of an alcoholic beverage. By the way, you can process the meat with salt and spices in the evening so that you can continue in the morning. Next, wash the meat thoroughly with fresh water. We cover with gauze in several layers and again send to the refrigerator for 12 hours. The indicated time has passed, you can gather the whole family and, finally, try, what excellent taste meat has acquired!
Recipe 4: Jerky (pork belly)
For a trial time, it is better to take a small breast. Instead of chemical and harmful dyes, use onion peel, which will give the meat a natural shiny color.
Ingredients Required:
• brisket - 1 - 2 kg;
• salt;
• spices - coriander, rosemary, dried garlic, dill, cumin, etc .;
• onion peel.
Cooking method:
Making marinade. Add water to the saucepan, some of the listed spices and salt, approximately 200 g. In the marinade we lower the bacon, and the liquid should completely cover the meat. We clean the husks from 10 onions and send all this to a pan with meat. Boil meat, no more than 20 minutes. After removing the pan from the heat and let the meat along with the liquid cool completely. Next, dried meat again rub the rest of the spices. This includes garlic. If there is no dried garlic, you can grate the fresh garlic. Wrap bacon in foil and store in the refrigerator for 1 - 2 days. Amazingly delicious!
Dried meat - the secrets and tips from the best culinary
Do not be afraid of the presence of pests in dried meat. Salt usually solves this problem, and all sorts of worms die in the first stage of drying.
