Clan Infinity: Celebrating 10th Reincarnation!

it's like meat, but dry.

 

At least Jerkies tasted good; this taste of spice and hell.

...but it is still enjoyable.

I like Jerkies, but I hate the fact that you always get some stuck in between your molars and I would have to floss until blood comes out to get rid of them, and my gum would swell for the infection for the next few days. I hate it.

 

Enlightening.

 

"Yoki".

 

Well... What did you expect?

 

To be fair, Jerky is more than just dried meat. They also taste greasy (depends on the brand, slim jim literally makes me go to the bathroom), and flavored with various spices or... fruit flavorings. The fruit flavorings are disgusting by the way.
I like Beef Jerky with better but then again, I avoid jerkies in general due to the aforementioned issue of meat strands getting stuck between my molars and I have to fight a gum infection every time just to get them out.

 

Slim Jims might as well be dog food.

Most packaged jerky is pretty trash too. Jerky is one of those things you either have to make at home, or find a really good brand. And, its pretty expensive because the meat shrinks down so much during the drying process.

 

Hm.... They shouldn't, dry meat alone is dry, not greasy.

Ah, usual problem. I think it's worth for the taste.

 

p r o t e i n
i n c r e a s e

 

I can think of a few responses to this.

 

It's probably not just a US thing, but beef Jerkies is oily in the US. Mind you they're still dry, but you do get oil on your hands, especially with slim Jim.

https://www.ign.com/boards/threads/...th-and-throat-are-coated-in-grease.453847239/

No seriously slim jims are literally made from the waste products of other jerkies.

 

Cheap jerky is coated in grease in the US as it would be entirely inedible otherwise.
Seriously though, it takes 4 hrs to make some in the oven. Its worth trying at least once.

 

I don't think I am interested in trying it anymore. No offence but "Slim Jim" does not sounds as something that should be eated by anyone.

 

Good jerky is tastes great, and its pretty easy to make. Also, its nutritionally dense in terms of protein and fats which makes it great for outdoor activities.
I'd really encourage you to try some not slim jims if you get the chance.
Though if its store-bought jerky its going to be pricey to get the good ones. And most stores here don't carry great jerky. Best bet would be a sporting goods store but even then its hit and miss.

 

This. Jack Link Jerkies are okay but they cost $7 a bag in California and that is criminal. I don't know how to make my own Jerkies, but it should be a simple matter of baking them in an oven for some time.

 

an extremely simple dehydrator can be made with a fan heater, a cardboard box, cooling rack.
hot air goes in at the top, and out of the bottom. the meat(usually beef, marinated beforehand, and cut into strips) goes in the middle, on the cooling rack.
run for as many hours as it takes, and you have jerky.

depending on the length of the drying, marination, and drying method, it can be anywhere from soft and juicy, to brittle and dry.
the flavour mostly depends on the marination. i typically use honey and sesame seed(and a proper dehydrator, which is basically the same thing as described, except it's plastic).

edit: also, on the price - there's a good reason that jerky is as expensive as it is. you lose an extremely large amount of volume and weight, in the dehydration. most of the beef is water, after all. it's not surprising to lose 1/3 to 1/4 of the weight.

 

So would using an oven be a good idea? I can probably buy steak mix from the store, marinate my meat, put them on a plate and stick them inside of an oven for a few hours.

 

it's definitely doable, but it takes a lot longer due to the lack of airflow(up to a day, from past experience).
unless your over has fans, which some do, but even then it still takes considerably longer.
longer than it's worth, really, as leaving an oven on for most of a day can be expensive.
i recommend just making a cardboard dehydrator.

using a plate definitely won't work though. you need to have as much of the surface exposed as possible, or it won't dry properly. use a cooling rack, or ideally, hooks.

 

That may be a good idea; my mom would flip if I kept the oven on for a whole day.

I have the time, so why not? Jerkies sounds good, even if it get in between by teeth and ghiuodfjadshbgohajdsklf

 

I do not have access to that product where I live, but I could try to make some one day. All I need salt and the sun. My grandfather used to make dry meat all the time so I can ask him for advice.