Secrets of making beef jerky

Hearty beef pot pie is a great meal to serve on a cold day or any time you want something that really sticks to your ribs. You can add extra zing to this recipe by adding 1 large chopped onion and mix in 1/3 cup of red wine with the gravy.

1 pound sirloin steak, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
3 large carrots, cubed
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
2 (9-inch) refrigerator pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan over medium high heat, brown the pieces of meat on all sides. Pour in enough water to almost cover the meat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer meat until it falls apart easily (about 2 to 3 hours). Place meat in a large bowl. Slightly shred the meat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the beef broth, carrots and potatoes. Cook over medium high heat until almost tender (about 15 to 20 minutes).

When the carrots and potatoes are done, transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with the beef. Reserve the liquid in the saucepan. Mix the peas in with the vegetables and beef.

Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/3 cup of water and pour this into the reserved beef broth. Bring to a simmer while stirring constantly; reduce heat. Cook for 5 minutes.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the pie shells following package directions. Spoon the beef mixture into the pie crust. Pour the gravy on top. Cover with remaining pie crust.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
=> Hamburger Pie Recipe: All American Hamburger Pie

This recipe is an American favorite. We love hamburgers, so making a pie out of our favorite meat sandwich is a winning idea. To give this recipe a richer flavor, you can substitute 1 can of mushroom soup for 1 can of tomato soup.

4 potatoes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (10.75 oz.) cans condensed tomato soup
1 (15 oz.) can green beans, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel and quarter the potatoes and put into boiling water; cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium high heat until the beef is brown; drain. Stir in the tomato soup and green beans.

Pour mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mound the mashed potatoes around the meat mixture (do not cover meat). Sprinkle cheese on top of the potatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden.
=> Cheeseburger Pie Recipe: Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger! Need I say more?

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk baking mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-inch deep dish pie plate.

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until beef is brown; drain. Spread beef mixture into the pie plate.

Sprinkle beef with salt, pepper and oregano. Arrange tomato slices on top of meat. Sprinkle cheese on top.

In a small bowl, combine together the baking mix, milk and eggs. Pour over cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
=> Hamburger Pie Recipe: Corn Bread Hamburger Pie

This is a nice variation on the basic hamburger pie recipe. The cornbread mix adds a nice sweetness and blends very well with the other ingredients. For an extra treat, add 1 can of creamed corn to the cornbread mix.

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon steak sauce
1 (8.5 oz.) package corn bread/muffin mix
Minced fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large oven proof skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium high heat until meat is brown; drain. Stir in the soup, salsa, ketchup and steak sauce.

Prepare the cornbread batter according to package directions; let stand for 2 minutes. Spoon batter over beef mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until corn bread is lightly browned. Garnish with parsley.

About the Author:

Mmmm . . . where can you find that yummy recipe? Milkshakes, Smoothies, Brownies, Chili, Casseroles and more! http://www.-best-free-cooking-recipes.com

With the low carb fashion that has hit the nation beef jerky is again very popular. One of the main reasons that beef jerky is healthy is the fact that to make the jerky last for so long the fat needs to be neat or the beef will go bad unless a lot of salt and preservatives are added.

Considering that there is much more of the beef than the fat in jerky it makes it very high in protein and without a lot of carbs. This is good news to the legions of people that follow the Atkin’s diet. Also many people that are conscious about their health prefer marinating and then smoking their own meat because it affords them the knowledge of exactly what they are consuming.

If you are looking for a healthy and suitable snack to take anywhere, this is it. It is especially great for camping as it is compact, gives needed nutrients, tastes great, and does not go bad. Many people that backpack carry beef jerky just for these reasons. It is also light and easy to carry. It is often put in vacuum preserved packaging to pack in the freshness so no matter how long you carry the beef jerky for it stays fresh.

Even though its origins are thought to be from South America during the 1800’s, Americans love their beef jerky. The Quechua tribe of Indians made a product similar to beef jerky which they called ch’arki which is where the name jerky came from. They used elk, deer, and buffalo meat and added salt to them before drying it out or placing the meat over the fire. This made for the preservation of meat that was needed when food was not as available for whatever reason.

The Spaniards took to making this popular snack as well when they inhabited parts of South America and then introduced it worldwide. American cowboys and the early pioneers took to it as beef jerky became a stable of their diets on the border. The early explorers of the country would construct smoke huts and then they would cut strips of meat to be smoked, dried, or put over a fire. The real beef jerky came along when the meat was first flavored. By adding spices the meat became better
tasting.

With more people being wary of what they are eating and at the same time looking for low cost healthy foods, beef jerky is seeing something of a rebirth. It’s a great snack for adults and kids alike and everyone has to admit that eating a stick of beef jerky is much better for you and better tasting than a high fat treat.

About the Author:

James L. Paleta provides readers with up-to-date commentaries, articles on food and other helpful resources.

Gators are a lot less scary when they come in the edible form of jerky! Exotic jerky, such as alligator jerky have become immensely popular among fans of dried and spiced meat. Alligator jerky is among other exotic choices such as emu, elk, ostrich and more. But you don’t have to go to Mardi Gras or the Everglades to taste this treat … you can make it yourself!

Making alligator jerky is really not much different than the usual beef jerky process. You just have to find somewhere that sells alligator meat. Most small town butchers will have this offering, and if they don’t regularly stock it, they can get it. If you do not have a local specialty butcher, there are some online sites you can order it from, such as CajunGrocer.

Basic Alligator Jerky

Ingredients:

• alligator tail

• garlic salt

• black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut alligator tail into long strips, one inch wide and one-quarter inch thick or less.

2. Prepare the jerky salt mix by combining the equal parts of garlic salt and black pepper.

3. Sprinkle a thin layer of the jerky salt mix on a cutting board.

4. Lay alligator strips on salt mix.

5. Sprinkle a layer of salt mix on top of alligator, so both sides are completely salted.

6. Stick a toothpick through one end of each meat strip and suspend strips from oven or smoker rack after shaking off excess salt.

7. Heat or smoke around 120 degrees until dry (about four hours).

8. Store jerky in airtight containers or eat right away!

Cajun Alligator Jerky

Since alligator meat is popular in New Orleans and Bayou-themed restaurants around the nation, Cajun flavoring seems like a natural choice for alligator jerky. This is a Cajun beef jerky recipe adapted to make alligator beef jerky.

Ingredients:

• 10 lb alligator meat

• 1/2 of a small bottle hot sauce

• 1/8 cup lemon juice

• 10 oz Worchestershire sauce

• 6 oz Soy sauce

• 1/8 cup Caynne pepper

• 1/2 small Bottle onion salt

• 1/2 small Bottle liquid smoke

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients.

2. Marinate 24-30 hrs.

3. Dehydrate in dehydrator or a 150-degree oven.

Buying Alligator Jerky

Many jerky makers pride themselves on their exotic selection. Dave P. from Wilkes-Barre, PA favors Alligator Bob’s brand.

“I’ve always been a fan of beef and deer jerky, but I never got into the delicious recipes and information about beef jerky, please visit our site. But once I saw alligator jerky — while in Florida of course — and at first I thought, ‘ew.’ Then, I remember that I tried alligator sausage at a Cajun place in State College and liked it. I gave Alligator Bob’s a try and man, was it tasty. I’d say that alligator meat sort of tastes like chicken and it is whiter meat as well. The Cajun seasoning was just right. I like spicy stuff and this was just fantastic. I am glad that I can order this stuff online!”

As most of you will already know, a good source of protein is an extremely important part of every meal and snack you eat throughout the day. By making protein a higher part of each meal that you eat, you will remain satisfied for longer and eat less. So, eating more protein makes sense, but how are you supposed to do so when you’re surrounded by carbohydrate snacks on the go that are high in sugar, white flour and low quality fats?

Simple. Try eating ‘biltong’ or ‘beef jerky’ - dried meat. As an occasional snack option this meaty snack is high in protein, and extremely low in both carbohydrate and fat. For every 100g of dried meat, you will ingest 25g of protein and a mere 2g of carbohydrate and fats respectively.

A 50g bag of this snack will give you roughly 140 calories, perfect for a quick snack that won’t overload you with carbohydrates and hence help maintain your blood sugar at a manageable level. A higher protein snack will not leave you feeling ‘moreish’, but rather satisfied.

Believe me, this stuff tastes better than it sounds. You can buy it at most supermarkets and if in doubt, ask a member of staff. It comes in snack size bags for added convenience, so it makes the perfect snack on the run. For those of you that are vegetarian, a small handful of nuts will do just as good a job, but as I always say, eat any snack in moderation. Give yourself variety. Don’t simply rely on one snack source throughout the day.

Give dried meat a try and see what you think!

Beef jerky seems to cause extreme reactions in people. They either love it or hate it. I love it. Yes, eating beef jerky can be a marathon chewing experience. But I love the taste of it. It also helps me avoid eating too much junk food because after I eat a few pieces of beef jerky I’m satisfied and no longer want to consume an entire bag of potato chips.

Although beef jerky is relatively low in calories, it contains a lot of sodium so it’s often not considered a health food. I consider it a fairly healthy snack though. It’s a lot better for you than eating those chips I mentioned above or eating cake, pie, brownies, and candy bars.

If you like beef jerky but don’t want to give your jaw a workout there’s some types of beef jerky that are easy to chew. Look for pieces of beef jerky that are chopped and formed. They are much easier to chew than traditional beef jerky which is made from slices of beef. But the chopped and formed beef jerky is typically higher in calories and lower in protein than traditional beef jerky so it’s not as good for you. You can also make your own easy to chew beef jerky if you have a food dehydrator, good quality ground beef, seasonings, and some patience.

If you look at your local store you’ll usually find beef jerky seasoning packets right next to the food dehydrators. If you prefer to mix your own seasonings there are lots of free recipes available online. Do a search for “beef jerky seasoning recipe” or “beef jerky recipe” and you’ll get tens of thousands of “hits.” You’ll have more recipes than you’ll know what to do with.

I’ve made beef jerky at home with ground beef countless times. And although it’s easy to make, it’s an investment of time and patience. The ground beef and seasoning are mixed together (that’s the easy part). Then the meat needs to be pressed into strips (this is the time-consuming part). The strips are then placed in the dehydrator. That’s when patience is required because, depending on what type of jerky you are making it takes 4-12 hours to dry and become jerky.

If you make your own jerky keep in mind that it shrinks a lot, sometimes up to two-thirds. You may think you’re making a lot of jerky until you open your dehydrator back up after the meat has dried and you see little pieces of meat where there used to be big pieces of meat.

Although some people enjoy making their own beef jerky, most people prefer to buy their beef jerky already made. There are lots of choices. In addition to the choices at your local grocer and convenience store, many meat markets and butcher shops make and sell their own beef jerky.

The flavor choices are varied too. Although traditional beef jerky is my favorite flavor, I also enjoy peppered and teriyaki flavored beef jerky. Hot or jalepeno flavored beef jerky is also readily available at most stores, but if you like really hot beef jerky you might want to shop online where you have more choices of hot, hotter, and hottest flavors of jerky. Other flavors of beef jerky I’ve seen include: barbecued, hickory smoked, honey glazed, Hawaiian, lemon pepper, Cajun, Tex Mex and chili.

And, in addition to the traditional slices of beef jerky, you can now purchase shredded beef jerky and beef jerky chips.

If you’re looking jerky that’s made with something other than beef you have lots of choices too. There’s turkey jerky (yummy), chicken jerky (also yummy), buffalo jerky (tastes a lot like beef jerky), ostrich jerky (not my favorite but I was predisposed to not like it because ostrich jerky didn’t sound good to me), alligator jerky (wasn’t a fan of this kind either), crocodile (wouldn’t try it since I didn’t like the alligator jerky) kangaroo (haven’t worked up the courage to try this kind yet), Emu (scared of this one too), Wild Boar jerky (have only seen this kind online and haven’t tried yet), Venison (it was okay but I’m not a fan of venison) and smoked Salmon (haven’t tried this one yet but it sounds good).

I’ve also heard of people making their own trout jerky, goose jerky, and duck jerky. The choices seem nearly endless.

If you’re wondering about the history of jerky and where it originated, it seems to be a little unclear. Some people say Native Americans made the first jerky (buffalo jerky) thousands of years ago. Other people say an ancient Inca tribe called the Quechua made the first jerky in the 1500’s. Although the process to make beef jerky have changed and been modernized over time, the same basic procedure of thinly slicing meat, adding seasonings, and drying it with a low heat are the same as when jerky was first made.

Jerky is a food that’s likely here to stay. And although beef jerky is by far the most popular type of jerky, more and more people are becoming adventurous in their tastes and want to try some of the more “exotic” types of jerky. As that trend continues, it’s hard to imagine what the next type of jerky will be. Could it be tofu jerky? Or has someone already made that kind……

About the Author:

D Ruplinger is a featured writer for OrderBeefJerky.com. To learn more about beef jerky and to learn about making beef jerky, visit us.

Snack food fads come and go, but beef jerky has been something people have been making for thousands of years before commercialism even existed! A tried and true method of preparing meat, beef jerky has evolved into a one of America’s most favorite snack foods, with the dried meat snack industry raking in an estimated $300 million per year.

Beef jerky is a popular snack for many reasons.

• It’s healthy. Beef jerky is low in fat and cholesterol.

• Protein! Beef jerky is very high in protein, which can translate to an energy-filled snack.

• Low or no Carb! With many people on the craze of a low-carb diet, jerky is a perfectly filling snack option.

• It’s convenient! Beef jerky is the type of snack that is small, so it can be easily carried with you anywhere.

• It lasts! If you buy in bulk and stash it somewhere, you’ll have an endless supply of a good snack for months.

• Variety! There are so many cuts and flavors of jerky that you can always try something new. There is regular jerky, there are sticks, there are nuggets and there is even chew.

In fact, beef jerky really is only one kind of jerky. Jerky in general is any type of dried meat. Turkey comes in second to beef, while other meats like pork and many game animals like deer, buffalo and elk also make delicious jerky snacks. There are also more exotic types of jerky: alligator, crocodile, ostrich, trout, salmon and even tofu.

There are many popular brands of jerky that you can purchase online or in your favorite store. Some of the most recognized brand of jerky are Slim Jim (which are best known for their spicy meat sticks, but do also have jerky), Oberto and Pemmican. There are also many gourmet beef jerky brands, such as Gary West. And, there are many regional favorites that also have grown due to the Internet.

Beef jerky can come in so many flavors: pepper, garlic, teriyaki, barbeque, honey barbeque and more. It can be mild and it can be hot. There are also many kinds of exotic flavors available if you look hard enough. Another way you can get some creative tasting jerky is by making it yourself. That’s right. Beef jerky is something that anyone can make.

Beef jerky can also become a pastime for folks who like to experiment and eat jerky. There are kits available to make jerky at home, dehydrators to make in, lots of supplies and rubs and marinades to purchase and so much more. You can simply make it in your oven, too. There are many recipes available to make your own marinades and rubs. Aside from the recipes we offer here, there are other sites that offer recipes, as well as cookbooks dedicated to jerky.

Jerky was first introduced by the South American (Peru) native tribe called the Quechua (part of the ancient Inca Empire) in 1550. The product (Ch’arki), was boned and defatted meat (deer, elk, or buffalo) cut into slices and rubbed with salt. This meat was rolled up in the animal’s hide for 10-12 hours and then sun dried or smoked over fires.

In South America, the Native Americans ate sun-dried venison and buffalo called tassajo, which was made with strips of meat dipped in maize flour, sun and wind dried, and then tightly rolled up into balls. North American Cree Indians mixed berries and suet (fat) with pounded cooked meat and pressed into concentrated small cakes to make pemmican.

Biltong came from pioneering South African forefathers who sun dried meat while traveling across the African subcontinent. Folklore has it that African tribesmen would place strips of venison under the saddles of their horses to tenderize and spice the meat! Seasoning became a blend of vinegar, salt, sugar, coriander and other spices.

The Indians and early settlers dried meat primarily from deer, elk or buffalo using salt, whatever spices they had and sun drying. As the Spanish arrived, the name evolved to charqui. Most travelers preferred to pound the charqui between large stones and boil it in water before eating. During ocean exploration and colonization, the Spanish sailors stocked the pacific islands with goats. What couldn’t be eaten would then be cut into strips and hung in their ships to air dry. When the Spanish Conquistadors invaded the Americas, they were surprised to see the natives of North America drying meat as well. Soon, the natives adopted the Spanish term, Charqui, only adding their accent; the word “jerky” first came to be.

North American Pioneers would first dry meat by hanging it on the outside of their covered wagon sun drying (2-3 days). Another method was to build a scaffold over a slow fire and smoke the strips. While the heat and smoke would complete the process in half a day, the smoking method required a stopover; it wasn’t long before awareness for disease and germs became prevalent and smoking became the norm.

Today jerky is made from thin strips of virtually any meat or from ground or chopped and formed meat. Manufacturers spice and dehydrate the product; some introduce smoke or using liquid smoke for flavoring.