I read an article somewhere on the net that said you can hang marinated
jerky from a rack in a gas oven, with a pan underneith to catch drippings,
and that the pilot light was enough heat to dry it out in two to three days.
Is it safe to dry jerky this way?

binarybill wrote:
I read an article somewhere on the net that said you can hang marinated
jerky from a rack in a gas oven, with a pan underneith to catch drippings,
and that the pilot light was enough heat to dry it out in two to three days.
Is it safe to dry jerky this way?

I'm not one of the meat men on this group (so to speak), but it's my
understanding there shouldn't be "drippings." Jerky is made from
fat-free meat strips in order to keep it from going rancid.

B/

"Brian Mailman" wrote in message
...
binarybill wrote:
I read an article somewhere on the net that said you can hang marinated
jerky from a rack in a gas oven, with a pan underneith to catch
drippings,
and that the pilot light was enough heat to dry it out in two to three
days.
Is it safe to dry jerky this way?

binarybill,

I'm not an expert on the food safety side of the equation so I would defer
you to pose the question to the folks at the UGA site
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/ that are better suited to answer that question,
although I can't fathom how meat held at slightly above room temperature for
a couple of days could be a *good* thing. I have however made a lot of jerky
in my time and when weather or other circumstances prevent my using the
smoker to finish the process...I have had great success just setting the
oven on it's lowest possible temperature and placing a spoon or other object
that will hold the door slightly open in order to allow the moisture to
escape. Depending on the size of the batch, it is generally ready within 4-6
hours.


I'm not one of the meat men on this group (so to speak), but it's my
understanding there shouldn't be "drippings." Jerky is made from
fat-free meat strips in order to keep it from going rancid.

B/

Brian,

You are correct in that one wants the leanest cuts of meat possible, but if
you choose to marinate the meat, you will have "drippings" from the marinade
as the meat slowly dries out.

HTH
KW

Thank you for your answers,1, I believe the drippings were from the
marinade.
2, I agree that the idea of drying meat at that temperature seemed unsafe to
me, however, I have never made jerky before so I thought I should ask. I
bought some at the store the other day and didn't like it at all plus it was
expensive.
"KW" keith_warrennospamatallteldotnet wrote in message
...

"Brian Mailman" wrote in message
...
binarybill wrote:
I read an article somewhere on the net that said you can hang marinated
jerky from a rack in a gas oven, with a pan underneith to catch
drippings,
and that the pilot light was enough heat to dry it out in two to three
days.
Is it safe to dry jerky this way?

binarybill,

I'm not an expert on the food safety side of the equation so I would defer
you to pose the question to the folks at the UGA site
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/ that are better suited to answer that question,
although I can't fathom how meat held at slightly above room temperature
for
a couple of days could be a *good* thing. I have however made a lot of
jerky
in my time and when weather or other circumstances prevent my using the
smoker to finish the process...I have had great success just setting the
oven on it's lowest possible temperature and placing a spoon or other
object
that will hold the door slightly open in order to allow the moisture to
escape. Depending on the size of the batch, it is generally ready within
4-6
hours.


I'm not one of the meat men on this group (so to speak), but it's my
understanding there shouldn't be "drippings." Jerky is made from
fat-free meat strips in order to keep it from going rancid.

B/

Brian,

You are correct in that one wants the leanest cuts of meat possible, but
if
you choose to marinate the meat, you will have "drippings" from the
marinade
as the meat slowly dries out.

HTH
KW

"binarybill" wrote:
Thank you for your answers,1, I believe the drippings were from the
marinade.
2, I agree that the idea of drying meat at that temperature seemed unsafe
to me, however, I have never made jerky before so I thought I should ask.
I bought some at the store the other day and didn't like it at all plus
it was expensive.

I've been making beef jerky on-and-off for 50 years. I thin slice it, cut
it into strips, rub it down with s&p and put it in fly-proof frames to dry
in the Sun. If it doesn't dry fully in one day, which it usually doesn't, I
bring it indoors at night to shield it from the foggy, foggy, dew. When
I've made large batches, some has lasted fine for months. I've never gotten
sick from it. My Thai wife now makes it the same way, although she
marinates it. Sweet, garlicy and hot! What did the American Indians do?

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

Nick Cramer wrote:
"binarybill" wrote:
Thank you for your answers,1, I believe the drippings were from the
marinade.
2, I agree that the idea of drying meat at that temperature seemed unsafe
to me, however, I have never made jerky before so I thought I should ask.
I bought some at the store the other day and didn't like it at all plus
it was expensive.

I've been making beef jerky on-and-off for 50 years. I thin slice it, cut
it into strips, rub it down with s&p and put it in fly-proof frames to dry
in the Sun. If it doesn't dry fully in one day, which it usually doesn't, I
bring it indoors at night to shield it from the foggy, foggy, dew. When
I've made large batches, some has lasted fine for months. I've never gotten
sick from it. My Thai wife now makes it the same way, although she
marinates it. Sweet, garlicy and hot! What did the American Indians do?

According to my grandmother they hung it over racks made of sticks, put
a couple of kids to watching it and to drive off the flies and the dogs.
Sun and wind would eventually dry it out but quite often they threw it
away because it turned green or soured. When dry the western Indians
pounded it with berries and other edibles to make pemmican. That being
said, we modern people don't have the constitution for eating food that
may be going "off" or getting ready to go off.

Most peoples who eat hot chiles did that originally to disguise the
flavor of rancid or near rancid meat.

George

"Nick Cramer" wrote in message
...
"binarybill" wrote:
Thank you for your answers,1, I believe the drippings were from the
marinade.
2, I agree that the idea of drying meat at that temperature seemed
unsafe
to me, however, I have never made jerky before so I thought I should
ask.
I bought some at the store the other day and didn't like it at all plus
it was expensive.

I've been making beef jerky on-and-off for 50 years. I thin slice it, cut
it into strips, rub it down with s&p and put it in fly-proof frames to dry
in the Sun. If it doesn't dry fully in one day, which it usually doesn't,
I
bring it indoors at night to shield it from the foggy, foggy, dew. When
I've made large batches, some has lasted fine for months. I've never
gotten
sick from it. My Thai wife now makes it the same way, although she
marinates it. Sweet, garlicy and hot! What did the American Indians do?

Don't have any argument with that method Nick as the Indians and
Frontiersmen did it for many years, but I would still bet a wooden nickel
that both the internal and external temp of the meat out drying in the sun
would be considerably higher than it would be inside a cold, closed oven
inside the house for several days without so much as a breeze to aid in the
drying process.

KW

George Shirley wrote:
Nick Cramer wrote:
"binarybill" wrote:
Thank you for your answers,1, I believe the drippings were from the
marinade.
2, I agree that the idea of drying meat at that temperature seemed
unsafe
to me, however, I have never made jerky before so I thought I should
ask.
I bought some at the store the other day and didn't like it at all plus
it was expensive.

I've been making beef jerky on-and-off for 50 years. I thin slice it, cut
it into strips, rub it down with s&p and put it in fly-proof frames to
dry
in the Sun. If it doesn't dry fully in one day, which it usually
doesn't, I
bring it indoors at night to shield it from the foggy, foggy, dew. When
I've made large batches, some has lasted fine for months. I've never
gotten
sick from it. My Thai wife now makes it the same way, although she
marinates it. Sweet, garlicy and hot! What did the American Indians do?

According to my grandmother they hung it over racks made of sticks, put
a couple of kids to watching it and to drive off the flies and the dogs.
Sun and wind would eventually dry it out but quite often they threw it
away because it turned green or soured. When dry the western Indians
pounded it with berries and other edibles to make pemmican. That being
said, we modern people don't have the constitution for eating food that
may be going "off" or getting ready to go off.

Most peoples who eat hot chiles did that originally to disguise the
flavor of rancid or near rancid meat.

George

I'm too lazy (well, busy getting dinner ready, too) to look up the
reference, but a few years back a US anthropologist reproduced the way
Indians preserved large cuts of meat. They had discovered a number of
post holes, with traces of timber in them, in the bed of a cold lake.
After some research (and maybe some speculation), they figured the
natives had tied parts of game carcasses deep in the cold water.
He experimented with some stekas, I believe, and maybe horsemeat. Come
Spring, he pulled them up and had them tested. No pathogens were found,
although the meat was slimy and sour on the surface. He cut some from
inside and roasted the pieces, and declared them just fine...

Dave

binarybill wrote:
I read an article somewhere on the net that said you can hang marinated
jerky from a rack in a gas oven, with a pan underneath to catch drippings,
and that the pilot light was enough heat to dry it out in two to three days.
Is it safe to dry jerky this way?


I use a dehydrator for my jerky making. It gets to about 140°F and it
dries about 3-4 trays in about 10 hours. I don't leave it going at night
so that varies.

A fellow I knew from South Africa makes biltong. He made a chipboard box
with computer fans in the bottom and holes drilled and covered with
flywire in the sides and lid and he hangs the meat from skewers. I don't
remember a heater. Maybe the fans put out enough heat to dry the air.

Regarding fatty meat. If you are storing it use lean meat only. I have
used meat and mince which was a bit fatty and it is do-able. After
drying we ate it within a week or so and it didn't have time to go
rancid but I wouldn't have tried to keep it. A warmer temp. melts some
of the fat and makes a mess also.

--
Ginny - in West Australia

George Shirley wrote:
Nick Cramer wrote:
"binarybill" wrote:
[ . . . ]
What did the American Indians do?

According to my grandmother they hung it over racks made of sticks, put
a couple of kids to watching it and to drive off the flies and the dogs.
Sun and wind would eventually dry it out but quite often they threw it
away because it turned green or soured. When dry the western Indians
pounded it with berries and other edibles to make pemmican. That being
said, we modern people don't have the constitution for eating food that
may be going "off" or getting ready to go off.

Most peoples who eat hot chiles did that originally to disguise the
flavor of rancid or near rancid meat.

Thanks, George. My question was rhetorical. I've always wanted to try
making pemmicin, but haven't found a recipe that sounds right. My Thai wife
is good with the molcajeta, so that part would be easy! ;-)

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

Dave Bell wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
Nick Cramer wrote:
"binarybill" wrote:
[ . . . ]
I'm too lazy (well, busy getting dinner ready, too) to look up the
reference, but a few years back a US anthropologist reproduced the way
Indians preserved large cuts of meat. They had discovered a number of
post holes, with traces of timber in them, in the bed of a cold lake.
After some research (and maybe some speculation), they figured the
natives had tied parts of game carcasses deep in the cold water.
He experimented with some stekas, I believe, and maybe horsemeat. Come
Spring, he pulled them up and had them tested. No pathogens were found,
although the meat was slimy and sour on the surface. He cut some from
inside and roasted the pieces, and declared them just fine...

I've never tried that, Dave. But 40 or 50 years ago, when I did a lot of
mountaineering, we'd be out for a couple of weeks at a time, in the
Adirondacks mostly, usually winter. I had bacon and eggs for breakfast most
mornings. I'd take a solid slab of bacon and a bottle of Tabasco® sauce
along. When the bacon got moldy, which it often did, I'd wipe it off
with the Tabasco® (90% vinegar?) before slicing it off. I useta crack the
eggs into a jar and cover them with olive oil. I'd just pour a few out into
the bacon fat. The tough part was carrying all the beer, wine and hard
likker. My Dobie carried his own damn food! I wipe moldy cheese off with
vinegar sometimes, too, but mostly I don't bother. I just tell me wife and
kid, "Don't throw my moldy cheese out!"

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

Nick Cramer wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
Nick Cramer wrote:
"binarybill" wrote:
[ . . . ]
What did the American Indians do?

According to my grandmother they hung it over racks made of sticks, put
a couple of kids to watching it and to drive off the flies and the dogs.
Sun and wind would eventually dry it out but quite often they threw it
away because it turned green or soured. When dry the western Indians
pounded it with berries and other edibles to make pemmican. That being
said, we modern people don't have the constitution for eating food that
may be going "off" or getting ready to go off.

Most peoples who eat hot chiles did that originally to disguise the
flavor of rancid or near rancid meat.

Thanks, George. My question was rhetorical. I've always wanted to try
making pemmicin, but haven't found a recipe that sounds right. My Thai wife
is good with the molcajeta, so that part would be easy! ;-)

We had a number of American friends in the Middle East who had married
Thai girls. Wondrous cooks every one of them and very experienced at
making do with next to nothing. We always enjoyed the dinner parties the
ex-pat community put on because we could get some really neat grub with
all the different countries represented by the female side of the
community. Unfortunately I can no longer tolerate the hot chiles. Have
some Thai Longs that an Air Force friend brought back from Thailand in
his pants pocket, usually give the chiles to a Cajun friend who eats
them like candy.

On 18 Oct 2007 06:46:36 GMT, Nick Cramer wrote:

I've always wanted to try
making pemmicin, but haven't found a recipe that sounds right.

I make pemmican. I don't use a recipe. It simply is dried bison meat and
rendered bison suet. I then leave it around for months and months. The key
is everything has to be extremely dry. I use a very low temperature when
dehydrating. But I run the dehydrator for several days. Then the suet has
to have absolutely no air bubbles coming up.

I have a page on rendering suet. Now to go find it! Here it is:

http://paleofood.com/suet.txt

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

"binarybill" wrote in message
. ..
I read an article somewhere on the net that said you can hang marinated
jerky from a rack in a gas oven, with a pan underneith to catch drippings,
and that the pilot light was enough heat to dry it out in two to three
days. Is it safe to dry jerky this way?

I make a lot of jerky also, but being relatively youthful and never living
long in the wilderness, I just followed directions in reputable books.
Most recommend at least a few hours at 145-150F to pasteurize. Several hours
after in a warm smoker helps to preserve and is tasty. A dose of at least 1
teaspoonful of salt per pound (I like a bit more) or the equivalent in
marinade (the packaged ones have a lot of other chemicals to preserve which
I think taste nasty) go a long way in preventing the overgrowth of germs.
Germs is everywhere, it's the too many that make us sick. Or their poop in
the form of spores & toxins. Garlic and spices also have some antibacterial
and tasty properties. Curry is good in many ways.

OT: Ol'Bob woke up for awhile last night, the Kid is here. It's been a long
18 days. And it's not over.
Edrena