Owner Manual

10
CAUTION! The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that meat/poultry be precooked prior to dehydrating or
baked after dehydrating to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
WARNING! Any liquid or grease, including marinade, that drips into the base of the unit may damage the product and/or cause
smoking. Meat/poultry strips should not be placed over the center hole or allowed to drape over the sides of the trays.
Ground meat should be 93% lean. If liquid or grease drips into the base and smoking occurs, unplug unit immediately and
discontinue use.
Preparing Jerky from Meat/Poultry Strips
Select lean meats such as beef and venison sirloin, rump, and round cuts; pork loin and ham cuts; and poultry breast, thigh, and leg. Trim
meat of visible fat, connective tissue, and gristle. Remove skin and fat from poultry. Freeze meat/poultry until rm, but not solid, to make
slicing easier. Slice into strips that are ¼ inch thick, 1 inch wide, and 5 to 6 inches long. Slice across the grain for a more tender jerky or
with the grain for a chewier jerky.
Flavor the meat/poultry strips by marinating in your own favorite marinade, a commercial marinade, or use the marinade recipe below.
If desired, Presto
®
Jerky Seasoning* can also be used to marinate the strips. Place marinade and strips in a resealable plastic storage
bag. Seal bag and shake to thoroughly coat the strips. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Turn bag often to evenly coat the strips.
Refer to the CAUTION! note on the top of ths page about cooking the meat/poultry before or baking after dehydrating. For a more
desirable texture, bake after dehydration. Meat/poultry that is precooked prior to dehydrating will have shorter drying times; however,
the end product will have a dry, crumbly texture. If cooking the meat before dehydrating is preferred, follow the instructions below:
Cooking before dehydrating—After marinating, place strips and liquid marinade into a shallow pan. If no liquid remains, add
enough water to cover strips. Bring liquid to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove strips from marinade and place in a colander to drain. Pat strips dry. Then position them on dehydrator trays. Arrange strips
close together but not overlapping.
The average drying time will be 4 to 8 hours. See “Determining Dryness” information on page 10.
If you did not cook the meat/poultry prior to dehydrating, bake it after, following the instructions below:
Baking after dehydrating—Preheat oven to 275°F. (For an accurate temperature reading, check with an oven thermometer.)
Remove jerky strips from dehydrator trays and place on a baking sheet close together, but not touching. Heat jerky in preheated
oven for 10 minutes (jerky strips should be sizzling when removed from the oven). Remove jerky from baking sheet and cool to
room temperature.
Jerky Marinade†
1½–2 pounds of lean meat
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hickory smoke avored salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and follow “Preparing Jerky from Meat/Poultry Strips” instructions above.
Preparing Jerky from Ground Meat
Mix one packet of Presto
™
jerky spice* and one packet of Presto
™
jerky cure* with 1 pound of 93% lean ground meat (refer to the
warning information on page 10). Place the ground meat mixture in a Presto
™
jerky gun* or a cookie press and extrude meat directly
onto dehydrator trays, making sure that the meat does not touch or overlap. The average drying time will be 4 to 8 hours. See
“Determining Dryness” information below.
Bake the meat after dehydrating, following the instructions above.
Determining Dryness
Begin checking jerky after about 4 hours and every 30 minutes thereafter. Drying time will depend on a variety of factors. These factors
include the type of meat/poultry , the amount of fat, and whether or not it was precooked before dehydrating. In addition, times will
vary depending on size/thickness of the pieces and how full the trays are. Jerky that is acceptably dry will crack when bent but will not
break.
*Presto
®
Jerky Seasoning (spice and cure) sold separately (see page 11).
†Jerky Marinade recipe provided by “So Easy To Preserve,” 5th ed., 2006 Bulletin 989, Cooperative Extension Service,
The University of Georgia, Athens. Revised by Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D. and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D., Extension Foods
Specialists.