EDITOR’S NOTE: David Kennard, news editor for EastIdahoNews.com, is writing a series of feature stories, the first of which is this one. As he mixes some of his favorite music with his weekend duties, he’ll invite you along. Dislike the music he chooses? Please feel free to make a better suggestion.
IDAHO GOES DOWN When I was eleven years old, I eagerly anticipated going camping with my neighborhood Boy Scout unit, primarily because I persuaded my mother that beef jerky was an essential item.
Beef jerky was, and still is, somewhat expensive back then.
As a closet preparer who frequently had bread and milk for supper, my dad attempted to persuade the other members of the family that powdered milk tasted just as good as whole milk, but it didn’t.
He ground whole flour in his own wheat grinder and used it to make bread. In fact, that wasn’t all that horrible.
Although he wasn’t quite as insane as Caractacus Potts, he was on his way there with a number of devices that he had gathered for one use. The food dehydrator that produced beef jerky and fruit roll-ups was the greatest device.
I’ve tried and succeeded at creating my own beef jerky throughout the years.
The low and slow approach is the most effective strategy I’ve discovered. That is, give your creation lots of time, such as a few days, and maintain the dehydrator’s heat on low.
The Playlist:
How I Prepare Beef Jerky:
- The House Is Rockin , Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
- Back In Black, AC/DC
- The Ballad Of Curtis Loew , Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Life in the Fast Lane, The Eagles
- Black Betty, Ram Jam.
On this final one, a brief note. Black Betty is possibly a cover of an American work song from the early 20th century.
According to a research by Jacob Uitti on Americansongwriter.com, the original song, Black Betty, began as a work song sung primarily by Black people in the early 20th century. However, its origins can even go back to the 19th century. Even though it might be clear that the song is about a woman named Betty, that interpretation is probably not totally true.
According to Uitti, “Bam-ba-lam” could be a reference to a bottle of alcohol, a prison car, or a whip that is frequently used on inmates’ backs. A Black Betty might have been a fast automobile or motorcycle in more recent allusions.
Many artists have recorded it over the years, but I think Ram Jam’s rendition is the finest. It also suits the genre of the rock era.
My recipe:
Five pounds or so of flank steaks, or a large block of London broil beef cut into small strips by the butcher.
- A couple of teaspoons of black pepper.
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke.
- About a quarter cup of soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce.
- About the same amount of Worcestershire sauce.
- Some lemon juice from one lemon.
- No more than a drop of Carolina Reaper hot sauce. I mean it, use only a very small drop.
Optional ingredients (things I’ve tried but stopped using)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, more if you like it hot
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
The process:
Make very thin strips out of your London broil. Asking the butcher at your grocery store to do it on his slicer will be much faster.
Then marinate your strips in your mixture in the refrigerator for the entire night.
For safe jerky manufacturing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) beef and fowl Hotline now advises heating beef to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and fowl to 165 degrees before dehydrating. This process guarantees that moist heat will kill any bacteria that may be present. However, this step is typically left out of dehydrator instructions, and a dehydrator might not be able to heat meat to 160 or 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
You are prepared to begin dehydrating once you have eliminated all potential causes of death.
Try not to let the shelves of your dehydrator overlap when you arrange your moist jerky. Your meat is ready to be checked when it has darkened.
It’s most likely ready when you can pick up a slice and it doesn’t turn over like a wet noodle. You’ll know what works after a few attempts, but there’s undoubtedly a science to it.
Once it’s prepared, pack a Ziploc bag and go out on your next journey.
