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Before the invention of refrigeration and preservatives, the only way to preserve meat for long periods of time was to dry it into jerky. Drying meat into jerky is possibly the oldest way of preserving meat and jerky dates back to the earliest civilizations.
Traditionally, jerky was made from long, thin strips of meat that was salted and dried in the sun or over a small smokey fire. Although jerky can still be made in this way, techniques have become more sophisticated in our day. Jerky is still an extremely popular food and millions of people still enjoy jerky as a delicious, convenient, and healthy source of protein. Jerky is perfect for hikers, campers, or just an easy, non-messy snack.
Today, jerky is most commonly made from beef, but jerky can also be made from poultry, fish, and wild game such as deer (venison), elk, buffalo, bison, moose, caribou, antelope, and other game. Many varieties of seasonings can be used to make different flavors of jerky. Salt is traditionally used as the main preservative for jerky, but acids such as vinegar and citrus juice in marinades can also help to kill bacteria. Jerky can be made without salt, but its shelf life will be drastically reduced.
Store-bought jerky comes in many flavors with any number of chemicals, additives, and preservatives and can be surprisingly expensive. However, you can make your own jerky at home very easily. Most people are surprised at just how easy it is to make delicious jerky that is much cheaper and healthier than mass-produced jerky available in stores. So by making your own jerky, you not only control the ingredients, you also save money.
Jerky Making: Step-by-Step Instructions
Select a cut of meat. Choosing a lean cut will save time later. For beef jerky, cuts like like sirloin, top round, eye of round, etc. are good choices. You can also use venison or virtually any other type of meat to make jerky.
Trim all of the noticeable fat from your cut of meat because any fat will cause the jerky to spoil much faster.
Slice your meat into very thin strips from 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Cutting the meat into thin slices dramatically shortens drying time. You can cut jerky with just a knife and cutting board, but there are some convenient tools you can use for slicing meat, such as a Jerky Slicing Tray, a Hand-Crank Manual Jerky Slicer, or an electric meat slicer. Tip: Slicing meat is easier if you freeze the meat for about 30 to 60 minutes before slicing. You can cut with or against the grain, but some find that strips cut against the grain are easier to chew.
Marinate the meat in a marinade or solution of your choice. You can follow a recipe to make your own marinade or purchase any number of ready-made marinades. Marinating is optional because the additional moisture can make dehydration take longer, and the resulting jerky might be stickier. Soaking in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce is a favorite. Place in the refrigerator for 4 - 24 hours to allow the meat absorb the flavor.
Season the meat with the dry seasonings of your choice. You can follow a jerky recipe or choose from a wide variety of available dry jerky seasoning mixes. A mixture of salt, pepper, oregano, marjoram, basil and thyme is tasty. You will find that many seasonings work well and it is a personal preference. I personally enjoy jerky with a lot of pepper. You will need to experiment to find your favorites. Just sprinkle and rub the dry seasonings onto both sides of the sliced meat.
Dehydrate the meat. Meat is dehydrated by applying heat and continuous air flow. The control of both the temperature and the airflow is very important. If the humidity is too high and the temperature is too low, the jerky will dry too slowly and it could spoil. If the temperature is too high, the jerky will cook too fast, harden on the outside but still be too moist on the inside, and once again, it could spoil.
There are two common methods for drying jerky; in a conventional oven or in a food dehydrator. Whichever method you use, be sure to leave enough room between pieces to allow air to flow around the meat. Avoid letting the meat touch if possible.
Making Jerky in a Conventional Oven
Preheat your oven to 140 degrees. Remember you are not cooking the meat; you are simply removing the moisture. Spray all the racks you will use with a non stick cooking spray. Without this non-stick spray, you will be left with jerky that cannot be removed from the racks and that will essentially be inedible. Spread the meat evenly on wire racks in the oven. You can also use metal racks other than the oven racks with a drip pan underneath to make cleanup much faster.
Leave the oven door open slightly to permit moisture to escape. Since temperatures, humidity levels, and slice thickness will vary, there can be no set time for the process to complete. Usually jerky takes from 6 to 12 hours. Check the consistency of the jerky regularly after 6 hours until it meets your satisfaction. You might have to cut into the jerky to ensure that it is not raw inside. You want the jerky to be a deep brown or burgundy color and still be flexible. As jerky cools, it will get more stiff and brittle so you don't want to over dry.
Making Jerky in a Food Dehydrator
Food Dehydrators are excellent for making jerky. Dehydrators are inexpensive to buy and are safer and cheaper to use than the kitchen oven. Additionally dehydrators make less of a mess and are easier to clean up.
Spray the dehydrator trays with a non-stick cooking spray before placing on the strips of meat. This keeps the meat from sticking and helps in the clean up of the trays. Season the jerky strips just as above and drain them well before placing them on the dehydrator trays.
A full dehydrator can usually process a large batch of jerky in 6 to 12 hours. Just like with drying in a conventional oven, temperatures, humidity levels, and slice thickness will vary, so the drying time will vary. You will want to check the jerky regularly after 6 hours to see if its done. You want the jerky to be a deep brown or burgundy color and still be flexible. As jerky cools, it will get more stiff and brittle so you don't want to over dry. The thicker cuts will take more time, so as the thin pieces are done, just remove them. Tip: A rule of thumb is that 4 pounds of raw meat makes about one pound of jerky.
Store the finished jerky in plastic bags and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat. To be safe, it's best to enjoy the fresh homemade jerky within one week of its preparation. If you make it right, it's delicious!Tip: If you wish to store your jerky for longer, use a vacuum sealer to store the jerky in vacuum bags. Other storage methods allow exposure to oxygen and moisture, which encourages the growth of bacteria. In vacuum sealed bags, jerky can be kept for months. Vacuum sealed jerky stored in a freezer can last even longer.
Alternative: Jerky Snack Strips & Sticks
Instead of making jerky from sliced meat, a popular form of jerky is the jerky snack stick or snack strip, which is made from seasoned ground meat formed into strips or round sticks. To make this jerky snack, you first need to purchase extra lean ground meat or grind lean cuts of meat with a meat grinder. The next step is to mix the seasonings into the ground meat by hand or with a meat mixer. The seasoned ground meat can then be extruded into the snack sticks or strips using a Jerky Gun or Jerky Cannon. Finally, these jerky snacks are dehydrated on trays in a conventional oven or food dehydrator as described above.
Who knew it was so easy to make your own jerky? Enjoy!
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Chicken is a great ingredient when you want to make dinner in a hurry because it cooks quickly. Like most ingredients, the smaller you cut it up the faster the pieces cook. For example, if you chop a chicken breast into twenty little cubes, you can cook them in three or four minutes. If you cook the chicken breast whole, it might take twenty minutes because it is much thicker.
Stir fries are popular because there are so many variations. You can use any kind of meat, poultry, or fish. Also, this is a good cooking method for various vegetables. If you are going to combine vegetables with longer cooking times (such as carrots or cauliflower) with those needing much less (mushrooms or bean sprouts, for example), you should parboil the denser ones or start cooking those first.
The easiest way to make a ten minute stir fry is to add a little oil, butter, or cooking spray to a wok and add the ingredients, which take the longest first, and then add the remaining ingredients and chicken. Finally add a sauce or some seasoning and your stir fry is complete.
Is a Wok Better Than a Skillet?
A wok is similar to a skillet but it has high, sloping slides. This makes it ideal for moving the meat and vegetables around without spilling them over the sides. A skillet is better for frying bacon or cooking steaks, because it has a larger base and you do not need high sides for this. Woks come in different sizes but a big one is easiest to use. Obviously, you do not have to fill it completely.
Another reason why you should use a wok for making a chicken stir fry recipe is that you will be adding a sauce and using a cooking pan with high sides means that you can toss everything together thoroughly in the wok.
Step by Step Guide to Chicken Stir Fry
After adding some fat to your wok and letting it warm up, you can add your prepared dense vegetables. Cut carrots into matchstick shapes, broccoli into very thin slivers and onions into thin rings or finely chopped pieces. The reason for cutting everything thinly is because it cooks much faster. While these vegetables are cooking, chop your chicken into small cubes or small diagonal slices, stirring the contents of the wok occasionally.
After three or four minutes, add the chicken to the pan and keep stirring it. Prepare any softer, fast-cooking ingredients like mushrooms or green beans and add those. Add a handful of cashew nuts if you like too. They are great with chicken stir fry recipes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add some egg noodles.
Finally, add any ingredients to the wok, which just have to heat up, rather than cook. Examples of these ingredients would be canned bamboo shoots or bean sprouts, pineapple chunks or slices of fresh banana. Pour in either a cooking sauce or some soy sauce. Teriyaki sauce is also nice to add to a stir fry. You can also add curry powder, salt, black pepper, or chili powder.
When everything is hot, check the chicken is done by slicing a piece in half. If it is white all the way through it is done. Serve the chicken stir fry with the egg noodles and you have a delicious meal, which the family will enjoy.
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I love my family and I love it when they can visit for an extended time period. A few years ago, my family and my brother's family started getting together at the beach in North Carolina for a week. We rent a condo, and just enjoy the company. It has been such a great time! I am the one who loves cooking (and eating), so that is where I tend to concentrate my efforts. Over the years, I have found the important thing is to plan ahead so that I can spend time with them, and not just focus on food - although that is one of my favorite things in life!
So, I have a few tips that have worked well for us, and made the trip a little more organized and hassle-free. You have all the normal things you have to take to the beach, like wine, soda, water, toiletries, tissues, paper towels, foil, napkins, etc., so just make a master list of those things, and determine which you are willing to purchase at home and take, and those that you want to purchase at the beach grocery stores.
But, let us focus on the food.
First, I make a list of the menus that would be enjoyed by the group for the nights we will be cooking, and not eating at a restaurant. And, since the sun takes so much out of you, do not forget the appetizers and the dessert! Breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Let us start with breakfasts.
I usually take a couple of breakfast casserole and coffee cake or muffin recipes along that can be made there. Also, think about cereals, juices and bagels. It all depends on the preferences of the group. Oh, and do not forget the coffee!
Lunches are usually sub sandwiches, tacos, pasta salad, nachos, and peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches for the little ones. Most lunch ingredients are purchased at the beach, but we can make the beef for tacos and pasta salad ahead. The beef can be frozen.
Now on to dinners. We are talking about appetizers, main courses, sides, and desserts. We go out about half of the nights to a restaurant, so 3 to 4 will be spent having dinner at the condo, which we will have to prepare - although we have ordered pizza delivery regularly for a meal.
Because this is always a beach vacation for us, we count on buying and preparing at least one seafood meal. I usually purchase shrimp and scallops and deep fry them with the local breading. Next, pasta and meatballs is always a hit for those huge appetites we build from a long day on the beach. We can prepare meatballs and pasta sauce ahead and freeze them. I also bake a few baguettes and freeze as well. Another idea is to make grilled teriyaki chicken breasts. If there is a fourth dinner, we usually opt to have seafood while we can get it fresh. Our group favorite is shrimp. For this meal, I would normally make some steamed shrimp as well as fried. The local fish markets usually have some great cocktail sauce as well, unless you make some of your own that you would prefer.
So, out of 7 days at the beach, here is what sample dinner menus may look like:
Dinner #1
Assorted cheeses, crackers, and artichoke cheese dip with crackers and broccoli, cauliflower and red bell peppers
Pasta with sauce and meatballs
Salad
Garlic bread
No bake strawberry cheesecake
Dinner #2
Warm chili con queso dip and salsa with chips
Deep fried shrimp and scallops with cocktail sauce
Salad
Steamed broccoli
Milk chocolate pie
Dinner #3
Warm Mustard Dill Gouda in pastry with crackers, salsa and chips
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Breasts
Sauteed Mixed Vegetables
French Bread
Leftover desserts from the previous meals
Dinner #4
Leftover appetizers from previous dinners
Steamed and Fried Shrimp with cocktail sauce
Salad
Steamed Green Beans
Ice Cream with hot fudge sauce
The main thing is to be organized and think ahead about what you will make. Then, it is easy to determine what you can do ahead and what you will need to prepare while there. The more you can have completed before the trip means more time to just relax, and less headaches while you are on vacation.
It is also important to make sure that you take those items that you know you or your family will want to have during the trip, and may not be available at the beach. For instance, your favorite coffee or cheeses. Depending on your menu, you may decide to take along some of your own cookware, cutlery, etc. You never know what the condo or rental property will have stocked in the kitchen.
I hope these tips will help you in planning your vacation. I will include a few recipes in future articles that I have mentioned here, although there are many versions available. Keep in mind that you are looking for quick, easy and yummy recipes to cut down the time in the kitchen.
We have planned ahead like this for the past two years, and it only leaves determining where and which nights you are going to dinner to think about. But you can agonize over those decisions while you are hanging out on the beach or in the pool!
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Nowadays every one loves eating Japanese food. They seems to have a fascination with Japanese food, the way it is prepared into small little bite sized sushi, delicious grilled teriyaki, fresh salmon or cod fish in sashimi, the humble miso soup and soba noodles are jam-packed with nutrition and bursting with vitamins and minerals! The salmon and cod fish is high in omega 3, which is great for lowering cholesterol levels for a healthy heart. They provide the most optimum nutrition that our body daily needs. Every single dish is an art form packed with nutrition. It's simply ingenious!
The beautiful presentation and well-arrangement in Japanese food and the distinct taste of home recipes always fulfill one's appetite. However,eating out in Japanese restaurants does take a big chunk out of our budget. Cooking Japanese dishes by yourself is another alternative to save some money in the mean time to enjoy the real Japanese taste recipes from your own home.
Below are some Japanese taste of home healthy cookbook recipes which will definitely let you and your family enjoy a luxurious yet affordable dinner:
Tofu Dengaku
Japanese have a long history of eating miso-topped tofu. This nutritious dish came to be called dengaku, named for the wooden skewers on which it was sometimes cooked. These long skewers were reminiscent of the stilts worn in an ancient dance of the same name.
Making this dish is easy. First wrap the tofu with a clean dish towel. Put two plates on top of tofu leave aside to extract any excess moisture. Meanwhile, combine the 100g miso, 1 egg york, 2 teaspoons dashi, 2 teaspoons mirin and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Preheat the grill, lightly brush the tofu blocks with little vegetables oil and grill until lightly brown. Thickly spread the miso mixture onto one side and sit under the grill again, miso side up for a few minutes or golden in color. Sprinkled with some sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Sake-glazed Salmon
Both savory and sweet often mingle in Japanese cuisine. These tender and juicy salmon slices are served with a lightly sweetened soy sauce and butter glazed. Usually serve with a vegetable side dish and a bowl of hot steamed rice.
You will need to have 500g salmon fillets lightly season with salt. Heat the oils in a frying pan and cook the salmon pieces with skin side down over medium-high heat. Cook about 3 minutes and reduce the heat to medium. Turn fish over and cook for further 2 - 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcooked the salmon. Remove the salmon from the pan, cover and set aside. Remove any excess oil from the frying pan, mix in butter, sake, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and ginger to the pan. Increase the heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring until slightly thickened. Drizzle the glaze over salmon.
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