This recipe is for anyone who is on Keto diet, likes to avoid packaged, processed food and likes to experiment in their kitchen with raw ingredients.
But first, a little context.
I used to have a negative opinion about Jerky... Knowing little about it, I assumed that it was one of those super unhealthy foods, that I also associated with gas stations and truck stops... and for as long as I lived in the US (almost 17 years) I refused to try it and even had a repulsion to seeing someone else indulge in it.
Recently though, during a two-days sailboat race, our crew was too busy to eat full meals while sailing, so we snacked all day long - from bananas, to yogurt cups, to ginger cookies, veggie sticks... and also beef jerky. That's when curiosity got the best of this cat, and I tried Jerky for the first time. I was amazed at how good it tasted - I can only describe it as primitive, visceral and satisfying.
Afterwards, I got curious about how jerky is made and where did it originate. My initial guess was that it was introduced to the Pioneers of the West by Native Americans. It turns out though, that I was slightly off, by about 2,500 Miles. The word "jerky" is derived from the Quechua word ch'arki - "dried, salted meat" (sourced from Wikipedia), which means that the process of making Jerky originated in South America, by the indigenous people who resided in the Highlands of the Andes and who also founded the Inca Empire.
Why is this awesome? Well, first of all, the ancient people figured out a method to preserve meat and inhibit bacteria growth by using the most basic ingredient, salt, and without devising any elaborate sources of energy other than letting the sun do all the work!
Second of all, think about it... Inca mummies... now you're thinking about it... ;}
Ok, so why here and why now?
Well, it just so happened that @Meno and I (and apparently quite a few fellow steemians) have decided to try the Ketogenic (Keto) Diet to get in better shape and not suffer while doing so :) The the main principle of Keto Diet is NO-CARBS and more fat. This means no sugars of any kinds, no breads or pastas, potatoes or fruits... other than avocados (which are apparently the staple of Keto).
So naturally I thought: Hey, Jerky would make a great snack! Its lean, filling, salty, low calorie... Wrong once again! Did I forget that this is 'Murica - the land of BBQ Sauce, ruled by emperor Sugar and his even worse cousin High Fructose Corn Syrup? Indeed there is no low-carb option for Jerky enthusiasts to be easily found in stores. So if you're thinking of having jerky as you Keto snack, you should probably learn how to make it at home.
To the meat of the matter:
I looked up a couple of websites for recipes and decided to try making homemade Jerky. I haven't yet tried making it using only salt and sun, but I did succeed in making several delicious batches of jerky using a few different ingredients in a small oven.
Here is what you'll need :
The prep:
- Cut the thin strips of lean beef into long strips that can fit vertically into whatever oven you're using. Ideally each strip should be no more than 1/4 inch thick
- In a plastic zip-lock bag, pour equal amounts of soy sauce and rice vinegar or regular vinegar ( about 1/4 cup each)
- Add in plenty of salt ( about 2 tbsp), and other spices in equal proportions ( about 1 tbsp each)
- Add some pressed garlic (2-4 cloves)
- Add the meat strips and mix everything thouraghly by hand.
- Place the bag in the fridge to marinate overnight.
- Next, place a layer of paper towel on a large plate, and flatten as many strips as possible on it, to absorb the moisure
- Cover the first batch with another layer of paper towels and repeat until all the strips are used.
- Afterwards, pierce 7-10 beef strips with wooden skewers, so that they can be hanged on the oven grill trey.
- Place the skewers on the oven grill and bring the strips to hang through the oven grill trey.
- Bring the oven heat to 160 F (~70 C), and set to bake for 3 hrs.
- Then, let the strips cool and harden for another hour
- And Voila! you're done!
OK, now you can make your own Jerky snack without the sugars (or with very low-carb). Also, beef isn't the only options for making jerky; you can actually use poultry and fish as well. You can also try different spices to play with flavors - making the jerky taste more Asian or Middle-Eastern, or just keep it simple with just salt and pepper.
Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave some feedback.
Enjoy!
- A N K A P O L O