Smoking Meat Or Making Jerky - 3 Ways to Preserve Our Meat Naturally

[Louis Lee]

I remember my mother when I was young saying; -"that meat is going to
spoil, and you'll get sick"! It was a valid point when complimented by
a healthy amount of hysteria and old wives tales.
Can you say phobia?
One that I cultivated well into my 30's and in some cases maybe saved
my life. Not so good once I went into the meat processing business the
clich's and fear mongering rang in my head causing nightmares to
blossom, usually ending up with my business bankrupted from lawsuits
brought on by a salmonella outbreak or maybe worse yet; a worldwide
recall of our award winning beef jerky! However, with a little
research, applied facts and reason, the paranoia is not necessary.
It is very important to me that our products are properly and safely
preserved , of course, but I wanted it to be all natural, no sodium
nitrites or nitrates. In this article I will give you some great ideas
to do just this.
And still be safe!
Salt or salt and spices: For thousands of years and still, salt is the
king. It is safe. If you are smoking ribs for instance it is not
necessary but if making jerky, salt will be your key player. I don't
have space to go into the science of salt as a preservative but
basically, it slows the growth of harmful bacteria until the meat has
reached the cooked stage, a temperature where the bad germs are dead.
Spices such as garlic and pepper are also powerful anti oxidants and
will help slow the spread of bacteria - but not alone, they only help.
A great way to use salt is to make a dry rub and rub the meat
completely, then let it sit overnight in a plastic bag or container.
If you are doing barbecue, salt to taste but if you're smoking or
making jerky, more is needed. I use a dry rub that has 4 tablespoons
of salt regardless of the other spices. This will do up to 10 pounds.
I will publish some cool recipes in subsequent articles, check them
out.
Smoke and smoke seasoning: Smoking meat whether it is done slowly over
water or dry needs smoke to inhibit the growth of bacteria until the
meat reaches the cooked stage. Smoke is acidic and once your meat is
acidic, bacteria growth is severely inhibited. One of the side effects
is its distinctive taste. Initially, smoking was done for preservation
not taste, now of course the main reason is taste. However, the fact
still remains that if your meat is smoked you are imparting a strong
natural preservative into the meat, one strong enough to eliminate the
use of nitrites and nitrates. If making jerky, using a smoker is one
way but if you are using a dehydrator oven such as an Excalibur or
similar kind, liquid smoke will be needed and it will achieve the same
preservative effect as physical smoke.
Wright's Liquid Smoke is natural. I recommend this brand because you
are getting just that; liquid smoke. In very general terms, they make
hickory smoke, and run water over filters while the smoke is blown
through them so that the liquid takes on a smoky flavor. One benefit
is that you get all the flavors including the acids but omit the tars
that come from the smoke; our bodies don't like tar, so it is good.
Soy Sauce based marinades: Make any marinade you want adding any
spices but make it a soy based marinade and you can omit the chemical
preservatives. This guy packs a double punch, salt and acid. That is
why soy sauce works so well. I prefer using enough to immerse your
meat or at least completely coat the meat until you notice that it's
dark brown and shiny.
Whether smoking your meat, ribs or making jerky these 3 kings of
preservation are well proven to work. Remember; the meat MUST be fully
cooked to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. When smoking meats on the grill or a
smoker this is no problem but when making jerky, it can be. If you
have a high power dehydrator that exceeds 150 degrees Fahrenheit you
are safe, if not, try this; par boil your meat in a cooking bag, (the
kind you use for turkeys) or a crock pot, skewer one piece of meat
with a thermometer. When it reaches 150 degrees F you are done. Then
place it in your dehydrator or your home oven. If using your oven,
place the meat on the racks, prop the door open about an inch, on the
lowest setting. -usually about 200 degrees F. Let the jerky dry until
it cracks (usually about 8 hours or less) when bent, little white
strings should be visible, but it shouldn't break.
These tips will net you some really good, safely preserved meats! To
your success!

Secret Restaurant Recipes Finally Revealed: http://www.arcook.tk/