Comparative Jerky 101

People laughed when I handed out the information and review sheets labelled "Comparative Jerky 101"...then they saw I was serious!
well, semi-serious :-)

There were twelve plates of jerky for tasting, grouped by (1) three different recipes, (2) two methods of slicing, and (3) two marinade times.

The overall opinion was that the dry salt cure was only for fighters, and only if they weren't too dehydrated or else their stomachs wouldn't be able to handle it. But it was pointed out that this style of jerky would re-hydrate best for stews when soaked in a change of water first. Most people slightly preferred the meat sliced across the grain and found it easier to chew. The longer marinade time did not result in too-strongly-flavored jerky and the decrease in drying time was a good point in its favor. The wine/lemon marinade was considered too bland by some, so the Worcester/wine was the final favorite. And although Worcestershire sauce itself is not period (pre-1600), many believe it to closely resemble the classical Roman fermented fish sauce "garum."

Class Notes:

I. Recipes
I found a very large number of jerky recipes on the Internet, at least three-fourths of which used soy sauce in the marinade. Since I don't consider soy sauce appropriate for the SCA, I discounted those recipes. The three recipes used were:
1) a salt-based dry cure
2) a wine & lemon juice marinade
3) a Worcestershire sauce & wine marinade (I know, Worcestershire sauce isn't period either)

II. Meat
The recipes using whole meat (some recipes use ground meat) specify using a cut with as little interior fat as possible. I used an eye-round beef roast of 4.8 pounds, on sale for $1.99 a pound. Approximately 1/3 pound was lost in trimming the meat of surrounding fat and tissue, leaving about 4.5 pounds.

Some recipes suggest partially freezing the meat to make it easier to cut thin slices, but people noted that it was difficult to tell when the meat was ready and often it froze completely. I found it easier to work from the other direction by freezing the meat until needed, then letting it partially thaw till sliceable.

About half of the recipes stressed slicing the meat across the grain, another quarter stressed slicing the meat with the grain, and the rest did not specify the direction. The ease of slicing with or across the grain obviously depends on the cut of meat. With the eye-round roast, both were possible. I sliced half of the meat with the grain and half across the grain, trying to cut slices that were 1/8 inch thick.

III. Cure Time
There was enough meat to require two drying sessions. The meat was separated into six zip-locked bags with the various marinades, based on grain direction and recipe, and left in the refrigerator overnight for approximately 10 hours. Half the meat from each bag was then processed. The rest was left in the various cures for an additional 32 hours before drying (and took noticeably less time to dry!).

IV. Drying
The slices were pressed dry with paper towels, then put on racks on baking sheets. Air could reach both sides of the meat. This probably helped the meat dry more quickly than if placed directly on the baking sheet, and the slices didn't require turning. I used two shelves in the oven, but switched the sheets between shelves about every two hours to ensure even drying.

I don't like leaving an oven on unattended and the days were busy so the drying sessions were a little unusual. I used a standard gas oven at its lowest setting with a wooden spoon handle keeping the door slightly open. The first batch was left at 170 degrees for 3-1/2 hours, then the oven was turned off for 3 hours, then turned back on for 2 hours. Total time: 8-1/2 hours. The second batch was left at 170 degrees for 5 hours and some of the meat was already dry enough to remove. The oven was reheated to 170 degrees, then turned off and the rest of the meat was left in the oven overnight for 8 hours. Total time: 13 hours.

V. Some Observations
Increased cure time definitely reduced the drying time but does intensify the flavor. Meat cut with the grain dried more slowly than meat cut across the grain, but was easier to handle. The dry cure recipe had the most variation in drying time: thinner slices dried more quickly than any others, but thicker slices took longer than similar slices from the wet marinades.

Jerky Recipes:

Dry Salt Cure
From Countess Mara Tudora Kolarova's discussion in the Carolingian Camping Hints page.

Wine and Lemon Juice
This is an original recipe based on a deer jerky marinade from the Searchable Online Archive of Recipes which used the wine, lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt, but with the spices changed to be similar to the "Lord's Salt" medieval recipe for pickling cooked meat at Cariadoc's Miscellany site.

Worcestershire and Wine
This recipe is also based on two others: the Jerky #2 recipe from the Rec.Foods.Recipes archive without the liquid smoke, oil, or added water; and the Modern Jerky recipe from SOAR without the parsley flakes.

For all recipes:
The above amounts will work on about 2 lbs. of lean meat (for beef. eye round, top/bottom round, flank steak) well trimmed of fat and tissue, sliced 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thick and about 1 inch wide, with or across the grain. The slices can be "jerked" or pulled to help break the muscle fibers. Refrigerate in the cure at least overnight. Press the meat as dry as possible between paper towels and lay the slices on a rack (preferred) or directly on a tray. Dry in a dehydrator according to its directions. Dry in the middle of a regular oven at somewhere between 140 and 200 degrees for 4 to 12 hours. If not using a rack, turn the slices over once or twice during the drying time. Keep the oven door slightly open using the handle of a wooden spoon to help air circulate and moisture evaporate. The drying time depends on the cure used, the thickness of the slices, the direction of grain, the temperature of the oven, the humidity in the air, and your personal preference.