Few Basic But Helpful Tips To Prepare Biltong And Jerky At Home

Posted by bullandcleaver on December 27th, 2017

No matter what part of the world you are in, you are never too far away to access an online or offline store to get biltong. Beef biltong and beef jerky have millions of fans across the world and no doubt, you too could be in love with these dried meat products.

However, a lot of people forbid buying online eatable and tend to prepare them at home. Needless to mention, this is all concerned with the unhealthy materials that many of the commercial biltong and jerky manufacturers tend to use.

But the good news is that you could easily prepare these dried meat products at home in a hassle-free manner. Here are some helpful tips for the process:

• Before beginning with the process, ensure to get well acquainted with the safe raw meat handling process- from basics to the highest level. This would help you receive better outcomes.
• Use only the lean portion of meat to prepare biltong and jerky and eliminate any extra fat from the meat. Trimming the fats would help it in drying faster and keep the jerky consumable for a longer period of time.
• Remove any tough portions from the meat including connective tissues, gristle and tendons etc.
• Partially or fully freeze the meat portions before you cut it. This would turn it firm and it would be easier to cut even thin strips of meats.
• Meats are cut in accordance with the grains they possess. These grains are actually the meat fibers that run through it. Cutting the meats against the grains turns it a lot softer,than cutting them parallel to the grains. Mind this consideration to get the desired texture in your biltong and jerky.
• Cutting your meats into thin and uniform strips is a better idea that cutting it thick. The thicker pieces take longer to get marinated and dried.
• Before and after you marinate the meat, it is better kept in the freezer. Leaving raw meat in the open has better chances of it getting influenced by the bacteria.
• While the meat is covered with the marinade and transferred to the freezer, it could be moved and turned in some time. This helps the marinade to seep better in the cracks and offer it a more delicious flavor.
• As per the recommendations of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), heat the meat at a temperature of about 71 degree Celsius before dehydrating it. This process eliminates the risk of dangerous bacteria such as e-coli, listeria and salmonella etc.
• After the biltong or jerky is removed from the dehydrator, allow it to cool at the room temperature before placing it in an airtight container. Warm meats tend to develop moisture, which attracts many undesirable elements.

Use these handy tips at home to prepare the beef jerky and biltong in the manner you desire.

However, if you wish to stay away from this but still enjoy healthy biltong and beef jerky, you have hoards of online stores to get the product. Review the products and their preparation methods well, and buy only the ones that stand better than their counterparts.