Beef jerky can be made in various ways, from traditional to modern methods. It can last for months if properly salted and stored, and can be made with different proteins. Chipped beef is a heavily processed type of jerky used in a dish called creamed beef on toast.
Dried beef is also known as beef jerky, which can be prepared in a number of ways – some laborious and some easy. With a dedicated dehydrator or even just a windy patch and a little patience, the traditional jerky can be made in a half-dozen ethnic styles, from pioneering and Native American Pemmican to Italian and South African. Others prefer to let a dedicated producer produce their jerky, as well as another type of heavily processed beef jerky that comes in a jar, known as chipped beef. The latter protein forms the centerpiece of an infamous dish spawned by the U.S. military called creamed beef on toast.
Jerky style of beef jerky is made to last several months, when properly salted and stored with the right amount of moisture. First, the lean beef is thinly sliced, lightly pounded, and flavored with a blend of seasonings such as garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, and pepper flakes. Before seasoning, to kill any harmful bacteria, chefs will drop the meat in a pot of boiling water for no more than 15 seconds, a process called blanching.
After the meat has spent a full day in the refrigerator marinating, it can become flavorful jerky in a few ways. One way is to stack the slices on the shelves of a dehydrator, which can end up jerky in less than a day. Another modern method of achieving traditional tasting jerky is to cook the pieces slowly in an oven set to its lowest temperature. The pieces are not placed on foil but are hung from the top rack of the oven with toothpicks that are poked through one end of the slices. To avoid actually cooking the meat instead of drying it, celebrity chef Alton Brown recommends stacking the slices in rows of coffee filters and then attaching the stacks via bungee cord to the front of a racing box fan. This will take longer to dry the meat, but will retain more flavor and texture.
Chipped beef is perhaps one of the most iconic types of beef jerky. During World War II, these processed beef jerky slices were used to feed troops in a meal called cream of beef on toast. According to the USS Little Rock website, the Navy’s recipe involves adding slices of dried beef to a suave mixture of flour, milk, pepper, butter and Worcestershire sauce, which is then poured steaming hot onto toast or a muffin. English.
Although beef jerky is the most common, other proteins are regularly used to prepare these long-lasting delicacies. Common substitutions are venison, turkey, buffalo, moose, elk, bison, and ostrich. Each produces a slightly different flavor and texture.
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