Hi - I'm a bit confused about beef jerky. I've read the threads / book on the need to get jerky to 160 to kill bad things but my Dad has always made Jerky by curing it for a couple of days in marinade (with Tender Quick) and then cold smoking for several hours until it's pliable but not breakable.
Can/should I do it this way if this meat is stored in the fridge and consumed quickly?
Cold smoke beef jerky if cured?
What do you mean by cold smoking (temps). Jerky is dried not cooked so yes lower temps are used. My final temp in my smoker or dehydrator will be about 140 - 150 F. At these low temps you need to use cure #1 or what your father used TQ. I find TQ to salty so I use cure #1 (pink salt). Shelf life is about a week if you don't put it in baggies. Vac sealed in the freezer last's for months. There is a lot of home jerky stuff from the government but they never mention cures so I am guessing they are referring to cooking it at higher temps.
Most jerky is done in a "low and slow" environment, either in a smoker, dehydrator, or both. And it is usually not "cooked". This pretty much mandates a cure. Not a brine. A CURE. Any meat products that are not brought from 40° to 140° within 4 hours need to be cured.
Not salted, honeyed, ascorbic acid'ed- but nitrate/nitrite cured. Many will debate this, and a few will regret it. Some might not, but it's YOUR choice.
Prague powder #1, or "Pink Salt" is what you want. Or Morton Salt's Tenderquick product. Follow directions to the TEE! Because it can poison you. But most likely will save you. Or at least your TP budget!
If you buy a commercial mix for seasoning, be SURE it includes nitrites/nitrates in the list of ingredients.
Most jerky is done in a "low and slow" environment, either in a smoker, dehydrator, or both. And it is usually not "cooked". This pretty much mandates a cure. Not a brine. A CURE. Any meat products that are not brought from 40° to 140° within 4 hours need to be cured.
Not salted, honeyed, ascorbic acid'ed- but nitrate/nitrite cured. Many will debate this, and a few will regret it. Some might not, but it's YOUR choice.
Prague powder #1, or "Pink Salt" is what you want. Or Morton Salt's Tenderquick product. Follow directions to the TEE! Because it can poison you. But most likely will save you. Or at least your TP budget!
If you buy a commercial mix for seasoning, be SURE it includes nitrites/nitrates in the list of ingredients.
There are tons of recipes out there for beef jerky that don't include any nitrite cures. And there have been instances of botulism found in commercially produced jerky. There is a long and useful thread here on the subject. Should answer most of your questions.
http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4999
http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=4999
