Smoke and smoke seasoning
Smoking meat
whether prepared in moisture or dry needs smoking to prohibit the growth of
bacteria till the meat reaches its cooked stage. As you know smoke is acidic
and once the meat becomes acidic there is no chance of any bacteria growth. It
gives a distinctive taste. Earlier smoking was done for preservation unlike the
present as it is done for taste. Whatever it may be, by smoking the meat the jerky
packer assures that a strong natural preservative is included in the meat.
This is strong enough to eliminate the use of chemicals. Other than the smoker
when you are using an Excalibur liquid smoke is needed to achieve the
preservative affect same as the physical smoke.
Soy Sauce based marinades
Whatever
marinade you making using any spices but make sure it should be soy based
marinade. This is another method used in jerky
co-packing to omit the chemical preservatives. This has double punch, salt
and acid making it work well. Immerse your meat in enough of it or coat the
meat with the marinade until it is shines as dark brown.
Salt or salt and spices
Salt is the
safest and king of all preservatives. For making jerky salt is the key
player. There is not much space to
describe in details about the preservative quality of salt but you must know
that it slows down the harmful bacteria growth. It slows down until the meat
has reached the cooked stage a temperature which kills the bad germs. You must
be looking forward for garlic and pepper as they are anti-oxidants. Yes, you
are right these elements also reduce the bacterial growth but be clear that
they can’t accomplish the preserving target alone, they just help. The best of
using the salt is making a dry rub and then rubbing the meat completely before jerky
co-packing. This is followed by making the meat sit overnight in a
plastic bag or container. More salt in case of smoking or marking jerky and
salt to taste in case of barbecue is to be considered.
