# safely making & preserving beef jerky



## bluenoser2 (Jan 7, 2014)

*Hi all,
I recently bought a big Weston brand Stainless steel dehydrator and was excited to make jerky for the first time, but quickly became confused about how to do so after reading the warnings about possible e-coli contamination.

I have read countless recipes (and read countless forums discussing this without any agreements) that say just marinade the meat overnight, pat dry and then put in the dehydrator at the highest temp until done, usually 155 degrees, such as is the highest setting on my new dehydrator.

Here is the conundrum.

There is a strong warning in the instruction manual that came with my dehydrator (as well as on the government safety recommendations for curing/drying meats) that states the meat MUST be previously heated to at least 165 degrees as measured internally with a meat thermometer BEFORE it goes into the dehydrator to ensure no contamination or bacteria is present that can make you sick.

My dehydrator as well as just about all of them I've looked at only go up to 155 degrees. Why not just make them go high enough to do jerky without having to use my oven first? I don't get it.

So, I bought an eye of round roast and sliced it thinly, them marinated overnight in the fridge with a popular recipe (soya sauce, brown sugar, spices ect ect) and then put it on a cookie sheet and placed in the oven for over an hour, but still could not get the internal temp of the meat (yeah, try to measure it with a meat thermometer when sliced so thin!!) to show 165 degrees.

Finally, after they were all crispy critters already, I just said the heck with it and put it in the dehydrator. After only a couple hours, I had hard crispy "beef chips"...LOL

I decided there must be a better way, so this time I tried again but put the whole marinade and meat in the oven in a glass corning wear and cooked until the liquid itself showed about 170 degrees, THEN put it on the dehydrator rack.

I did it this way thinking it would not dry out, which it didn't, but doing it this way resulted in all the meat curling up and almost impossible to lay flat on the dehydrator racks, and also, it was like all the marinade just "cooked out" of it, resulting in a boring flavor.

On top of this, the beef pieces still ended up turning into beef chips after only an hour.

I'm afraid to try again, roasts aren't cheap, and I don't want to ruin another one until I can figure out how to get the meat safe to eat by raising it to the recommended temperature before it goes into the dehydrator.

What do you think? What should I do??

Please read the below warnings.

Thanks!!

Chris *



This is the dehydrator I have:

http://www.rawnutrition.ca/en/equip...-dehydrator-with-10-hour-timer-wtssd74-1001-w

Also, this is cut and pasted from:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...at-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index

Why is temperature important when making jerky? Illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from homemade jerky raise questions about the safety of traditional drying methods for making beef and venison jerky. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's current recommendation for making jerky safely is to heat meat to 160 Â°F and poultry to 165 Â°F before the dehydrating process. This step assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed by wet heat. But most dehydrator instructions do not include this step, and a dehydrator may not reach temperatures high enough to heat meat to 160 Â°F or 165 Â°F.

After heating to 160 Â°F or 165 Â°F, maintaining a constant dehydrator temperature of 130 to 140 Â°F during the drying process is important because:

the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and
it must remove enough water that microorganisms are unable to grow.

Why is it a food safety concern to dry meat without first heating it to 160 Â°F?
The danger in dehydrating meat and poultry without cooking it to a safe temperature first is that the appliance will not heat the meat to 160 Â°F and poultry to 165 Â°F â temperatures at which bacteria are destroyed â before the dehydrating process. After drying, bacteria become much more heat resistant.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

I think the 160 degree thing in a CYA statement. I never have heard of anyone "precooking" the meat they make into jerky. 

Bacteria need moisture to grow....if you dry the meat properly it won't have any moisture in so....so no growth....no problem.


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## bluenoser2 (Jan 7, 2014)

Ohio dreamer said:


> I think the 160 degree thing in a CYA statement. I never have heard of anyone "precooking" the meat they make into jerky.
> 
> Bacteria need moisture to grow....if you dry the meat properly it won't have any moisture in so....so no growth....no problem.


Do you think that maybe the whole bulletin warning about the possibility of e-coli infection is actually their way of admitting that our food chain and meat processing is not SAFE??

People are getting e-coli even WHEN they cook their meat properly, just ask the folks at XL foods about it!

So what about the necessity to use a curing agent like sodium nitrate?

Do you think that would further safeguard against bacterial growth?

Is it necessary?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I've been making jerky for years and never pre cook it.. Never gotten sick or had anyone get sick.

However, I don't use a dehydrator, I use a smoker with cool or cold smoke... 

I think you are reading lawyer talk about it being precooked to avoid e-coli

Salt helps keep the bacteria down. Hence why almost all jerky is salty... 

Also, since I smoke it, smoked meat is also safer since the smoke keeps the bacteria down.

You can go ahead and dehydrate away.. you'll be fine.. Also, freeze what you can't eat in a couple days, and take out what you need... then once you have it out of the freezer, keep it in a paper bag. If you keep it in plastic, it will get moister, and it can help bacteria grow... air flow helps keep it down..


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## Raymond James (Apr 15, 2013)

Leave the meat whole and bake till the thermometer says 160. Take it out and allow it to cool preferably on a rack. Cool the broth separately so you can skim the fat off of the broth. Place broth in the frig to get it to separate. Once it has sat and cooled about 20 minutes slice in half or better quarters and put it in the refrigerator with the broth back on it (Plastic Zip lock works) . Leave overnight, turn every couple hours . Then drain , slice thin and dehydrate. 


Many, actually most ,people make jerky without cooking it without problems.


A few cases of food borne illness from making jerky seems like there were issues with no temperature control of the meat prior to dehydration. The case I heard of dear meat field dressed and then held at ambient temperature for more than three days temps in the mid- 40's to low 50's . Several people in the Jefferson City and St Louis Missouri area got sick from that incident. 

Make sure no flies get on the meat while you are processing it.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I can't imagine cooking the meat, then slicing and making jerky.. 

I freeze my meat, then allow to thaw somewhat. Leaving it really stiff. This makes slicing it into thin strips a LOT easier.. then as soon as I'm done slicing, I add all the marinade and seasonings.. then into the fridge for at least 24 hours, stirring every 4 hours or when not asleep.. 

As long as you keep your work area clean, and wash your hands well, you'll be fine.

OH.. also remove as much fat as possible.. the more fat you have, the faster the jerky will go rancid..


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Or you can just skip the jerky and go straight to biltong :drum:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I saw that on Duck Dynasty after Willy ordered some.. It looked and sounded interesting.


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## bluenoser2 (Jan 7, 2014)

Raymond James said:


> Leave the meat whole and bake till the thermometer says 160. Take it out and allow it to cool preferably on a rack. Cool the broth separately so you can skim the fat off of the broth. Place broth in the frig to get it to separate. Once it has sat and cooled about 20 minutes slice in half or better quarters and put it in the refrigerator with the broth back on it (Plastic Zip lock works) . Leave overnight, turn every couple hours . Then drain , slice thin and dehydrate.
> 
> 
> Many, actually most ,people make jerky without cooking it without problems.
> ...



So have you tried this technique, or are you just making a suggestion?

I'm looking for tried and true methods that work, don't wanna waste any more meat!

Also, what about the sodium nitrate? Is it needed or not??


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I've never used sodium nitrate... Just salt and soy sauce for the sodium..


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

people were making jerkey before ecoli was id. if you cant process your own meat then you have to depend on the industry to do it sanatary. if you cant trust them then its another issue. keep your work area clean wash hands. i use dry seasoning/rubs. thats just me it doesnt make sense to add liquid to something you are going to dry. enjoy


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I use soy and Worcestershire as the only liquids.. the rest is all dry... It really doesn't make it that much wetter as compared to how much more flavor it gives..

To the OP, seriously, don't worry about the temps.. just dehydrate until dry tough and chewy. I have found though that smoked jerky keeps better than dehydrated..


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## midwesterner (Mar 8, 2009)

It's been a while since I took a foodservice sanitation course, but I believe both e. coli and salmonella are surface contaminants, not intra-muscular bacteria. If that's the case, proper handling when slicing the whole-muscle cuts into jerky strips is going to eliminate most of the risk.

Using ground meat exposes far more of the meat to surface contamination, so use of a jerky press is risky. Buying meat ground by someone else significantly increases that risk of contamination, if only because you don't have any control over how the meat was handled before and during the grinding process.

And of course, buying locally produced and butchered meat very well could be a significantly lower risk than buying feedlot-produced and processing-plant-butchered meat.

Then, too, there's the developed resistance humans have. I suspect those folks who use hand sanitizer a couple of dozen times a day aren't developing much natural resistance to the effects of many bacteria and will be far more affected by exposure to even low levels of e. coli and salmonella contamination. Those who are exposed to low levels of bacteria of all sorts on a daily basis probably have stronger immune systems and don't get knocked down when they do consume a little. At least, that's my theory as a childhood dirt magnet who still seems to get a bit dusty at times.


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## bluenoser2 (Jan 7, 2014)

midwesterner said:


> It's been a while since I took a foodservice sanitation course, but I believe both e. coli and salmonella are surface contaminants, not intra-muscular bacteria. If that's the case, proper handling when slicing the whole-muscle cuts into jerky strips is going to eliminate most of the risk.
> 
> Using ground meat exposes far more of the meat to surface contamination, so use of a jerky press is risky. Buying meat ground by someone else significantly increases that risk of contamination, if only because you don't have any control over how the meat was handled before and during the grinding process.
> 
> ...


Well, I'm ill, just had cancer surgery, so I'm not going to leave anything to chance if what it boils down to is whether or not I trust my meat supply, since I do not, and neither do most Canadians these days.

I guess I'll try pre-heating the roast in the oven to around 165 degrees as measured my a meat thermometer then marinading it over night as per the previous suggestion.

I just don't feel comfortable taking any chances with myself or my family.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I hate to say, but meat cooked to 165 inside is pretty much what is considered "done"

I wish Roadking would weigh in here... Me and him just recently traded some jerky we both made. His was dehydrated. Mine was smoked.. Neither of us were afraid to eat the others.. I've still got just a couple little pieces of his left. Not been refrigerated. I plan to finish it tonight.. It's still just fine.

e-coli isn't going to stand up to the salt and the heat of a dehydrator... it sure doesn't stand up to smoke if you go that route.. 

I used to live on a bad well. We hadn't tested it for a long time. The in-laws had come over and ended up with a stomach bug so we tested the well.. turns out the e-coli in it was too high to count.. the whole family had been drinking it for a long time with no issues.. it was only people who hand't built up a tolerance to it that had an issue.

So long as you handle the meat you plan to dry like you'd handle any of your other cooking you'll be fine..


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## unregistered5595 (Mar 3, 2003)

I slice venison when it is half thawed. Marinate it. Dehydrate at 145 (highest temp on my dehydrator). Then after 12-16 hours, bake it at 350 for 15 minutes. It boils out and liquifies any little pockets of moisture and fats and you can hear it boiling out when you take it out of the oven. Then I store it in gallon zip lock bags in the refrigerator--this redistributes moisture and the driest crispy areas become pliable again.


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## TriHonu (Jun 8, 2011)

I made jerky for years using the thin slice and marinade method. Never had any issues. However when I started using ground beef recipes I had concerns with the increased risk of contamination during processing at the meat packing facility.

The manual for my NESCO dehydrator states:



> "When making jerky from pork, chicken or turkey, use precooked and processed meat. Be sure to dry it at the highest temperature setting. After drying, heat it in your oven at a minimum temperature of 160Â°F (71Â°C) for at least 30 minutes as a precaution against the risk of salmonella.
> 
> When you are jerking game meats, freeze the meats for at least 60 days at 0Â°F (-18Â°C) before drying, as a precaution against any diseases the animal might be carrying."



I have been using this procedure for many years. It does not affect the quality of the finished product. Just make sure the jerky is sufficiently dry but still pliable before you remove it from the dehydrator. I have the oven preheated and transfer the jerky to cookie sheets and put them in the oven 35-40 minutes. You are only raising the temp another 5-10 degrees and then holding it there.

I have read the *USDA Fact Sheet on Jerky Safety* that states "The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's current recommendation for making jerky safely is to heat meat to 160 Â°F and poultry to 165 Â°F before the dehydrating process."

I prefer to follow NESCO's procedure since I prefer the quality of the product using their procedure.

In case you're wondering, I like to make jerky from ground beef for a few reasons:
It is easier to chew.
I can get the flavor mixed all the way through the final product.
I can use a LEM Jerky Gun to form the sticks or strips. It is fast and produces equal thickness portions that all get done at the same time.:goodjob:​


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## bluenoser2 (Jan 7, 2014)

TriHonu said:


> I made jerky for years using the thin slice and marinade method. Never had any issues. However when I started using ground beef recipes I had concerns with the increased risk of contamination during processing at the meat packing facility.
> 
> The manual for my NESCO dehydrator states:
> 
> ...


Sounds kewl, although I have even LESS confidence in "ground" beef than a roast!

I just tried the suggestion of preheating the roast first in pieces to 160 degrees, then slicing and marinading overnight and then putting in the dehydrator.

It's sitting in the fridge now marinading, we shall see what happens when I put the slices in the dehydrator tomorrow!


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## tlrnnp67 (Nov 5, 2006)

A steak cooked to medium is only 135 to 140 degrees internal temperature, and medium is over-cooked if you ask me. I can't imagine worrying myself about dehydrated jerky.


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## CountryCabin (Mar 8, 2007)

simi-steading said:


> I add all the marinade and seasonings.. then into the fridge for at least 24 hours, stirring every 4 hours or when not asleep..
> 
> As long as you keep your work area clean, and wash your hands well, you'll be fine.
> 
> OH.. also remove as much fat as possible.. the more fat you have, the faster the jerky will go rancid..


This ^^^ only I get mine sliced by the butcher.

Do in my dehydrator at 160 and its never made anyone sick yet.

Two words go hand in hand, cleanliness and fridge.

Very important to keep it cold not let it sit out, as I have heard some do, until they are ready to put it in the dehydrator. :umno:


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Beef Jerky
*
Hardware*
Dehydrator, Kitchen scale, bowl, sharp knife, cutting board, heavy freezer zip lock bag, pan to put bag of jerky in the fridge.

*Recipe*
This recipe is based upon 1-Â¼ lbs. of meat (Top, Bottom or Eye of round beef is what I use)
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of liquid smoke**
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce**
Â½ cup soy sauce**
**(Natural Mesquite Colgin Liquid Smoke, Annies Natural Organic Worcestershire sauce, San-J Organic Shoyu Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce)

*Prep*
Put the bowl on the scale, and zero the scale so you are not weighing the bowl. 

Trim ALL fat off. 
Slice your beef into Â¼ in or less slices. 
Make sure they are all about the same thickness. Throw in the bowl. 
Now that you have the actual weight of the meat, multiply recipe, as you need.
Take meat out of bowl, and put in zip lock
Mince garlic, throw in bowl.
Take all other ingredients above, and mix well in bowl.
Pour all of this marinade into zip lock bag.
SLOWLY remove all the air in the bag and seal.
Squish the meat around so that it all gets covered with marinade.
Set the bag, in a pan, and put in the fridge for 24 hours, flipping the bag over at the 12-hour mark.
After 24 hours of marinade, take jerky out of bag and lay on dehydrator sheets. 
Do not over lap. 
Dehydrate at 155 degrees for 10 hours. 
Then it&#8217;s done. 
Store in heavy zip lock bag, or in glass jars with lids.


I've been making jerky for 4-5 years now, and I have never 'pre-cooked' the meat.
I don't add any extra salt, because there is enough salt in the Soy to choke a horse.
I own an Excalibur Dehydrator.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Why I can't make beef Jerky--Make enough for a two week ride, eat it all and give some away while saddling up, so to speak. Never has a chance to go bad. 

I like it best if I know it has no preservatives other than what folks would have had on hand like salt or sugar. I would eat if it did or didn't. Fun.


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

If it was me, I'd just try to return the dehydrator and get my money back. You've already demonstrated you can dry beef on a cookie sheet in the oven, so why even bother using the dehydrator at all?

Just set the oven to 165F and walk away. After being in there for some period of time the whole mass of meat will reach 165F, so don't worry about it.

I've used my own oven for making jerky many times. Instead of the cookie sheet though, what I've done is wrap Al foil over one of the oven racks.

BTW, about 2-3 hours into the jerky making process, I flip over all my meat, so the underside also dries. Seems that it likes to weld itself to the metal surface, and flipping it over helps it dehydrate faster.

My biggest problem in making jerky, is to have the will not to eat it all before it's completely done. Going out for a movie, or some other activity after flip-over seems to help keep jerky stocks at their highest level.


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## bluenoser2 (Jan 7, 2014)

MichaelK! said:


> If it was me, I'd just try to return the dehydrator and get my money back. You've already demonstrated you can dry beef on a cookie sheet in the oven, so why even bother using the dehydrator at all?
> 
> Just set the oven to 165F and walk away. After being in there for some period of time the whole mass of meat will reach 165F, so don't worry about it.
> 
> ...




Well, funny enough, I measured the temperature inside the dehydrator, and it only gets to 130 degrees!

So, i called Weston, the manufacturer, and they are going to send me out a new dehydrator at no cost, and they told me to just keep the old one!

Can't get better customer service than that!!

So, looks like I have a large stainless steel box with a heating element and nice chromed racks, perfect to make a smoker out of.

Now, I'll just modify the dehydrator into a smoker and make my jerky that way, my next post will be about how to make jerky in a smoker...LOL


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## spblademaker (Oct 8, 2013)

I make all my whole muscle jerky in the smoker. After it has cooled I pack it into a mason jar, toss in an O2 absorber and vacuum seal. So far it has been fine, stored over 6 months. I can't pass the jars any longer than that without eating them. Six month is a long time to go without jerky. &#128522;


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## Lucky S Ranch (Feb 21, 2014)

I love jerky but have never been a fan of the dried type. I like the more cooked/dry type.

I have used this spice for years and love it. Plus it does not have much of that liquid smoke stuff. YUCK that stuff is nasty.










I find beef roasts that have very little fat and lots of meat. I trim all the fat off I can. Slice up into 1/4 thick slabs. Then slice those up into 1/4 inch strips. Coat the spice on it put in bag in fridge for 24 hours. Then put on racks and in the oven set at 200 degrees. Crack open the door. After about 4-5 hours start tasting every hour until it is the way I like it. Everyone I have ever given any of this says it is the best beef jerky they have ever had. So I guess that means it is good?

This reminds me of the old brand Oboy Oberta I think it was. 

Some of this new crap from Jack links sucks. It just has a nasty raw feel taste to it.

Plus doing it my way you will never have to worry about bacteria.


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