When it comes to jerkies, the options are pretty limited. As long as you exercise your creativity and ingenuity in the kitchen, you can create many recipes for this particular treat. Of course, we have the common ones like beef and bacon jerkies. Recently, I also have featured the use of venison and rabbit meat as possible ingredients for jerkies.
But lately, I have been thinking about using corned beef brisket for my next jerky adventure. Well, it should not be a surprising feat since this meat is a common ingredient that we can get on the market. We can also savor them on our favorite restaurants, especially the all-time favorite braised corn beef.
Obviously, there is no corn involved in the makings of corned beef. The reason it got its name is due to the large rock-grain salts that are used in the curing and preservation process of the meat. Of course, this is the main reason why corn beef is a plausible ingredient that you can use in your jerky recipes.
In this article, I will show you the correct and simple process of making a jerky out of corned beef. Just follow the stated procedures, and you can guarantee that your jerky will be sumptuous and appetite-worthy! Let’s get started
How to Make Corned Beef Jerky
Before you head out to your kitchen, you have to make sure that you have already acquired the necessary ingredients for this treat. Fortunately, the ingredients, condiments, and spices need for making jerkies are not scarce. Moreover, you have to make sure that you have the necessary tools for the dehydration process.
Ingredients
- Corned beef (2 pounds)
- Sugar (1 tablespoon)
- Chili powder (2 teaspoons)
- Coarse black pepper (1 tablespoon)
Procedure
Soaking the Corned Beef to Water
If you have noticed, I did not include the typical ingredients that I used in making jerkies. There is no salt, soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce in the equation. The biggest reason for this is due to the salty nature of corned beef.
Since they have been preserved through the use of excessive salt, their natural flavor is very sour. Of course, it is not good to amplify such saltiness by adding other souring agents.
In fact, you will need to reduce the saltiness of the corned beef before anything else. The first thing that you need to do is to use a sharp slicing knife to cut off all the fatty parts of the meat. Next, soak the latter in a bowl of cool water for around 45 minutes. This should lower the salt content of the meat.
Drying and Slicing the Meat
After you soaked the corned beef, place it on a baking rack and use clean paper towels to wick off the liquid. Let it air dry for around 15 minutes then put it in the refrigerator for another 45 minutes. This should fully dry the meat up. Aside from this, the refrigeration process will toughen the meat, which makes it easier to slice.
Again, use your slicing knife to cut the meat into thin strips. The thinner, the better. It would certainly allow you meat to dry up faster. Just be careful on slicing so that you won’t get wounded!
Seasoning
After you prepared your meat, you need to include your seasonings in the equation. Ideally, we want to neutralize the salty nature of the corned beef. Therefore, we need use sugar. But of course, we don’t want the jerky to lose its punch. For this case, the black pepper and chili powder are the perfect candidates.
Use a bowl and pour all the seasonings there. Mix them thoroughly until such time they will blend well. Next, wipe your seasoning to the surface of the meat. Make sure you do it thoroughly and evenly. In this way, you can achieve the desired flavor that you want for your jerky.
Dehydration Process
Set the oven at a preheated temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. You could even use a food dehydrator and a gas smoker in this process. If you want an authentic and rich flavor to your jerkies, using a gas smoker with hickory other flavored wood would certainly be great!
Via Pelletsmoking.com
Fortunately, most of the gas smokers today are modern and ergonomic already. They offer the same control and convenience that microwave ovens have. Check out the list that I made for the top gas smokers in the market today!
When you drying device is ready, insert the strips of corned beef there. In this temperature that I have set, the drying time should be around 4 to 7 hours. But make sure that you have to check the meat constantly to assess their condition. If you can notice that the meat already have a brownish color and firm texture, then it is already a jerky. Also, do not forget to flip the meat in the middle of the process. In this way, you will get an even result.
Once your meat is already a jerky, take them out in the oven. Let them cool for awhile. After that, you can already indulge on your homemade corned beef jerky.
Storing the Jerky
If you are planning to eat the jerky on a later date, you must preserve it properly. Because of the “dry” nature of jerkies, they have a long expiration time. Therefore, if you can store them in airtight containers, they can even last for 1 to 2 months! If you freeze them, they could remain edible for the next four months. For me, it is already a huge plus, considering that there is just my two kids and me. Our appetites are not that big!
But of course, this is only applicable if you prepared the jerky properly. Moreover, the corned beef that you must choose should be fresh and far from its expiration date.
Conclusion
Having a corned beef jerky on your platter is actually amusing and fulfilling. After all, only a few people have tried to make this kind of jerky. The taste of this treat is defined by the balance of sweetness and sourness. Furthermore, the hint of spice can awaken your insatiable hunger!
Learning how to make different kinds of jerkies is beneficial for your part. Aside from broadening the repository of your recipes, it also exercises your etiquette and precision in the kitchen. You will realize that being clean and proper in making dishes can really make the difference. The food that you make will always be fresh, tasty, and healthy. You will also prevent the possible entry of foodborne illnesses.
Did you learn from this article? If you have any questions, comments, and suggestions, just feel free to ask me. I will be waiting! Have fun in cooking!
Can you add more detail please to the section about adding seasonings? The instructions say to “wipe your seasoning to the surface of the meat.” I’m not sure what wipe means in this context. Should we be adding the meat to the spice bowl, or sprinkling the spices on the meat?