How do you make jerky more flavorful?

To understand how to add flavor to Jerky you would need to know how it is made and what it is made of. Making jerky at home has become a part-time for culinary wannabe and it is a hobby that many try and perfect. It is fun, delicious and good for you when enjoyed in moderation so let’s dive into how to make jerky and how to add more flavor to your jerky recipe once it is done. 

What kind of meat do you use for Jerky?

Beef, pork, turkey breast or venison can all be used to make jerky. The only thing that it requires is to be lean meat. Unlike biltong, the rest of the poultry family is generally not used because of the way it cures and the texture of the finished meat product. 

Meat selection

It’s important to remember what meat can be used. If game meat is being used you can only use the part of the animal’s body where the hunting wound did not touch the intestines. Faecal matter can spread to the rest of the body and that meat will only be good enough to use for cooking. Once you have the meat you want to use, you need to store it in the freezer for at least a month to stop any bacteria from growing and when thawing the meat it should be done in a cool room or a freezer. Avoid your counters because they can carry bacteria that could infect the meat. 

Marinating your meat

The selection of spices that you use to marinate your jerky recipe is what will give it the flavour when you are done dehydrating it. You can use any kind of spices as long as you have ground it down in a spice mill so that it sticks better to the meat. Your choice of sauce also doesn’t matter as long as you allow it to dry properly. Now the trick to getting it full of flavor is to keep marinating it in between by dusting it with spice or by lightly rubbing thin layers of sauce on it while it is drying. The best sauces to add to your bag is a mixture of vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, teriyaki or barbeque. The vinegar thins out the spices and makes it more of a rub so it sticks better. The barbeque adds flavor if you continuously rub it over the jerky while it is curing. Teriyaki is another flavor option and not always necessary if you want to keep the flavors simple. Worcestershire sauce gives it its texture and finishes so it’s one that you do not want to leave out. Once you are done using your marinate you need to throw it away because of the bacteria that can sit on the raw meat and can be transferred and cause contamination and remember to cure the meat thoroughly until it completely dried out.