Beef Jerky Dehydrator Woes

[NScooknet]

Hi all,
I recently bought a big Weston brand Stainless steel dehydrator and was excited to make jerky for the first time, but quickly became confused about how to do so after reading the warnings about possible e-coli contamination.

I have read countless recipes (and read countless forums discussing this without any agreements) that say just marinade the meat overnight, pat dry and then put in the dehydrator at the highest temp until done, usually 155 degrees, such as is the highest setting on my new dehydrator.

Here is the conundrum.

There is a strong warning in the instruction manual that came with my dehydrator (as well as on the government safety recommendations for curing/drying meats) that states the meat MUST be previously heated to at least 165 degrees as measured internally with a meat thermometer BEFORE it goes into the dehydrator to ensure no contamination or bacteria is present that can make you sick.

My dehydrator as well as just about all of them I've looked at only go up to 155 degrees. Why not just make them go high enough to do jerky without having to use my oven first? I don't get it.

So, I bought an eye of round roast and sliced it thinly, them marinated overnight in the fridge with a popular recipe (soya sauce, brown sugar, spices ect ect) and then put it on a cookie sheet and placed in the oven for over an hour, but still could not get the internal temp of the meat (yeah, try to measure it with a meat thermometer when sliced so thin!!) to show 165 degrees.

Finally, after they were all crispy critters already, I just said the heck with it and put it in the dehydrator. After only a couple hours, I had hard crispy "beef chips"...LOL

I decided there must be a better way, so this time I tried again but put the whole marinade and meat in the oven in a glass corning wear and cooked until the liquid itself showed about 170 degrees, THEN put it on the dehydrator rack.

I did it this way thinking it would not dry out, which it didn't, but doing it this way resulted in all the meat curling up and almost impossible to lay flat on the dehydrator racks, and also, it was like all the marinade just "cooked out" of it, resulting in a boring flavor.

On top of this, the beef pieces still ended up turning into beef chips after only an hour.

I'm afraid to try again, roasts aren't cheap, and I don't want to ruin another one until I can figure out how to get the meat safe to eat by raising it to the recommended temperature before it goes into the dehydrator.

What do you think? What should I do??
Thanks!!

Chris

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

How long does it stay in the dehydrator at max temp until it's considered done?

 

[NScooknet]

Good question, I haven't been able to put any jerky in there for any length of time before it turns into powder because it's already almost done when it's in the oven.

So if I'm gonna make jerky in the oven, what's the point of using the dehydrator??

So, is it truly safe like people are saying to just put the jerky right outta the fridge raw after 24 hours marinading straight into the dehydrator at 155 degrees (The highest setting) skipping the "precook" stage, or am I gonna get sick?

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I frankly don't know much about jerky, which is why I asked. Where I was driving at was this:

http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html

Essentially this is a much different cooking method, but it drives to the heart of the matter -- killing nasty things.

Essentially the point is that the internal temp needs to get above about 130, and then needs to stay there for some amount of time (depending on the temp it rises to) for a certain amount of time to ensure the nasties are killed off.

If the jerky is going to stay in there a few hours, I think you're safe, as once you get the IT of the meat to 150-155 degrees, it'll be mere minutes until it's considered pasteurized. If it's going to stay in less than an hour, you may be in some danger zones, though, depending on how quickly the meat comes to temp.

(Once the jerky is fully dried, though, I'm not sure about proper storage. Pasteurization isn't guaranteed to kill *everything*. It just reduces it to a level of safety for immediate consumption or to be immediately re-chilled to prevent future growth. However, the curing and drying may make an inhospitable environment for nasties. I'm not entirely sure. I don't know if it's safe to store homemade jerky at room temp, so you'll have to ask someone else on that.)

 

[Rockn_M]

My father in law makes jerky all the time with his dehydrator. I think there's enough salt in the soy sauce to kill any nasties. I'm thinking the warning is keep any liability away from the company. I think if you use fresh meat and keep the dehydrator clean in between uses you should be ok. Drying meat has been used for centuries to preserve meat.

 

[Yellowirenut]

I use this recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html

In the food dehydrator for 24 hrs. heat set to the lowest. You are to dry out the beef not cook it.

 

[NTXBrauer]

I have used a dehydrator for years on beef, deer and turkey, with no concerns of bacterial contamination. As mentioned above, just keep it clean and use a fresh cut of meat. Rotate the trays (if you have them) to ensure consistent drying. I can normally dry a thinly sliced round out in 3 hours or so.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I have always heard that the reason jerkey-making is a viable preservation method is because it is a dried rather than a cooked product. By being dry the meat is an environment that is not hospitable to pathogenic life. This is much like beer where the alcohol kills anything pathogenic. Much like salting or sugar curing which desiccates or removes the water from the food product and as a result creates an environment where nothing can thrive. Then again this is my personal opinion and could be dead wrong. Thoughts?

 

[NScooknet]

Read this about jerky safety.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fch/sites/default/files/documents/pnw_632_makingjerkyathome.pdf

Should I believe it, or not worry about it?

It's not just the maker of the dehydrator that is saying that you MUST heat the meat to 165 degrees first, it's government sites as well.

This is the dehydrator I have:

http://www.rawnutrition.ca/en/equipment/dehydrators/weston-stainless-steel-10-tray-dehydrator-with-10-hour-timer-wtssd74-1001-w

Also, this is cut and pasted from:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index

Why is temperature important when making jerky? Illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from homemade jerky raise questions about the safety of traditional drying methods for making beef and venison jerky. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's current recommendation for making jerky safely is to heat meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F before the dehydrating process. This step assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed by wet heat. But most dehydrator instructions do not include this step, and a dehydrator may not reach temperatures high enough to heat meat to 160 °F or 165 °F.

After heating to 160 °F or 165 °F, maintaining a constant dehydrator temperature of 130 to 140 °F during the drying process is important because:

the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and
it must remove enough water that microorganisms are unable to grow.

Why is it a food safety concern to dry meat without first heating it to 160 °F?
The danger in dehydrating meat and poultry without cooking it to a safe temperature first is that the appliance will not heat the meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F — temperatures at which bacteria are destroyed — before the dehydrating process. After drying, bacteria become much more heat resistant.

 

[Yellowirenut]

According to the government ALL meat products should be cooked fully.

Sashimi? (raw fish) COOK IT
Jerky? COOK IT

Basically they are covering there butts, But in the history of jerky we have only recently began cooking it. the Indians smoked or dried it in the sun for days.
With the right marinade/brine you do not need any heat, just dry air blowing over the product.

 

[NScooknet]

According to the government ALL meat products should be cooked fully.

Sashimi? (raw fish) COOK IT
Jerky? COOK IT

Basically they are covering there butts, But in the history of jerky we have only recently began cooking it. the Indians smoked or dried it in the sun for days.
With the right marinade/brine you do not need any heat, just dry air blowing over the product.

Do you think that maybe the whole bulletin warning about the possibility of e-coli infection is actually their way of admitting that our food chain and meat processing is not SAFE??

People are getting e-coli even WHEN they cook their meat properly, just ask the folks at XL foods about it!

So what about the necessity to use a curing agent like sodium nitrate?

Do you think that would further safeguard against bacterial growth?

Is it necessary?

 

[DrunkleJon]

Cross contamination is the hazard of the assembly line food handling procedure as well as the antibiotic coctails that we have to feed our livestock because of the farming density. Maybe we really should take a page out of other countries books on how we raise animals. Many countries with the least amount of contaminations do not even need to use the antibiotic coctails.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/f...vey-finds-widespread-contamination-in-chicken
Chicken as an example.

 

[mike_777]

I've never cooked my jerky, but have always used my dehydrator @155. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure to trim all excess fat from the meat as that's the part that goes rancid quickly.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I know very little about jerky, but I have made some simply by hanging the seasoned meat strips from the top oven rack on a toothpick with a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch any drips, works well FWIW. Propping the oven door open an inch periodically helps reduce humidity in the oven.

170 degrees for 4-6 hours seems to work for 1/4" slices.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I have a cheap American Harvester dehydrator, but it goes to 165°F. My parents have a 15-20 year older one and it doesn't.

I've only used the spice kits from Scheels, and I believe they come with a curing salt.

 

[DougK]

First, you should always use curing salt in your jerky. Many people claim that the "salt in such and such ingredient is enough" but I always use the proper amount of curing salt as well.

I do my jerky in my smoker, which is a masterbuilt digital electric smoker. I cook the jerky for one hour at 175, and then drop it down to 155 for the remainder of the drying time. Usually another 4 hours.

I don't know that this step is needed, but it is the way I do it. I also use venison which I process myself, so I know how it has been handled and is likely "safer" than a roast from a market in terms of potential contamination. I'm very picky about what meat gets kept and what goes to the dog.

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[Subsailor]

We have used the oven method, smokers and dehydrators to make jerky, whether meat, fish or fowl (Salmon jerky is awesome). We've sun/wind dried fish and even caribou and moose strips and never gotten sick.

We have never pre-cooked before jerking, in fact, I have never even heard of that before reading this thread. I'm going to have to dig out our dehydrator manual, if we still have it.
There is always salt or sugar or honey or a combination involved in our recipes to help resist bacterial infection and aid in preservation. We also like a little 'chew' in jerky so we don't ever dry it to a crisp. When finished drying, it is separated and vacuum packed, some to the freezer, some to the pantry.

Like others have said, it depends on your meat source and its care and handling through the entire process. I know it's not scientific proof but I have been doing this for nearly 40 years and my folks before me and we have never had a problem.

 

[NScooknet]

We have used the oven method, smokers and dehydrators to make jerky, whether meat, fish or fowl (Salmon jerky is awesome). We've sun/wind dried fish and even caribou and moose strips and never gotten sick.

We have never pre-cooked before jerking, in fact, I have never even heard of that before reading this thread. I'm going to have to dig out our dehydrator manual, if we still have it.
There is always salt or sugar or honey or a combination involved in our recipes to help resist bacterial infection and aid in preservation. We also like a little 'chew' in jerky so we don't ever dry it to a crisp. When finished drying, it is separated and vacuum packed, some to the freezer, some to the pantry.

Like others have said, it depends on your meat source and its care and handling through the entire process. I know it's not scientific proof but I have been doing this for nearly 40 years and my folks before me and we have never had a problem.

Well, funny enough, I measured the temperature inside the dehydrator, and it only gets to 130 degrees!

So, i called Weston, the manufacturer, and they are going to send me out a new dehydrator at no cost, and they told me to just keep the old one!

Can't get better customer service than that!!

So, looks like I have a large stainless steel box with a heating element and nice chromed racks, perfect to make a smoker out of.

Now, I'll just modify the dehydrator into a smoker and make my jerky that way, my next post will be about how to make jerky in a smoker...LOL

 

[BeerLoverHere]

I've been making beef jerky for years on the cheapest of all food dehydrators that does not get very warm nor does it have much airflow. If you don't have either you won't make "tainted" meat as for years it has been made over a fire with minimal heat in the breeze. I also use a good amount of salt in my marinade to cure the meat which helps. I NEVER had any issues with contamination of any kind. I clean the trays regularly in soap/water and also in the dishwasher. I spray cleaner with bleach on all other parts I can't submerge in water. Oh yeah, after I cook the jerky, I leave it out at room temperature uncovered too. Still no issues even with meat that is not all the way dried out/still with some moisture so it tastes good. I've been doing it this way for 20+ years and won't change a thing!

 

[kstone803]

I use a dehydrator and you never want to precook your meat to 160 prior to drying. Cooking meat will cause it to go rancid much faster than drying it. Between the salt in the jerky cures and the low level of moisture you're fine from any pathogens. Those warnings are just a CYA. Put your meat in the marinade/curing salt, refrigerate for 24 hours, take out and stick in the dehydrator and dry until your desired consistency. I like mine just a tad moist, not wet/raw but pliable and not hockey pucks.

 

[mikesr71]

i have used alton browns method many times and have never gotten sick of my jerky...it uses no heat at all just a box fan and some ac filters

 

[BeerLoverHere]

I use a dehydrator and you never want to precook your meat to 160 prior to drying. Cooking meat will cause it to go rancid much faster than drying it. Between the salt in the jerky cures and the low level of moisture you're fine from any pathogens. Those warnings are just a CYA. Put your meat in the marinade/curing salt, refrigerate for 24 hours, take out and stick in the dehydrator and dry until your desired consistency. I like mine just a tad moist, not wet/raw but pliable and not hockey pucks.

You're dead ass on. Exactly the same as I do it.

Also, for anyone that wants a tip, try halfway freezing your meat first before you slice it. It's much easier, more firm, less slippery so you won't cut your finger on your slicer. I get great slices the size of mini-elephant ears!

 

[NScooknet]

You're dead ass on. Exactly the same as I do it.

Also, for anyone that wants a tip, try halfway freezing your meat first before you slice it. It's much easier, more firm, less slippery so you won't cut your finger on your slicer. I get great slices the size of mini-elephant ears!

So what is the ideal thickness to slice your jerky?

One source says around 1/4" max, while others say as thin as you can, but I tried that and ended up with dried "beef chips"...LOL

 

[DougK]

Jerky usually loses at least half of its thickness when you dry it. So a 1/8 in slice will get down to less than 1/16 that is really thin, and will dry out really fast, quickly turning into a crunchy chip instead of a chewy treat.

I generally slice mine around 1/4 in. My slicer does not have inch graduations on it, just numbers. If I remember correctly, I dial it in at about a 7 or 8, but this is a commercial grade deli slicer, and others may have different measurements. This works out to be about the thickness of a "bic stic" pen or a standard pencil.

One thing to keep in mind, I think a lot of people have trouble accurately guessing measurements. it seems like they underestimate measurements that are small, and overestimate one's that are large. So, someone sees something that is really 1/4 in thick, and they estimate it to be 1/8 or look at something that is 60 yards away and estimate it is over 100 yards. Hence the reason for including a standard household item for reference.


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[NickTheGreat]

I always aim for 3/8" slice on my jerky. but i haven't made it since we got our nice Wusthoff knives, so I imagine I can be more consistent with that

 

[BeerLoverHere]

So what is the ideal thickness to slice your jerky?

One source says around 1/4" max, while others say as thin as you can, but I tried that and ended up with dried "beef chips"...LOL

3/16-1/4 inch is what I shoot for. Yeah, thin is not for me as it sticks to the trays and is hard to peel away. I let it soak a little longer in the marinade too or if I am in a hurry, I just beef up the sodium content. Dale's Steak Seasoning in the condiment aisle of my grocery makes up 50% of my marinade (be careful as it's super salty!). Some good beer is added too along with pepper, garlic, onion powder, fresh sliced jalepenos, and some hot sauce. It sounds hot, but most of the "hotness" fades away.