Homemade Jerky
 

Help, please! Has anyone made turkey jerky? I've seen lots of variations of recipes online and am looking for advice here, since I know many of you are great with this kind of thing. All recipes, suggestions, etc. are welcome!

I,ve been making jerky for about 20 years, but I've never made turkey jerky. I have made chicken jerky, and it turned out well, but I'm just too paranoid about salmonella to feel safe doing so, so I prefer to use beef. I also prefer the texture and flavor of beef.

If the meat is properly marinated (in a salty brine) and completely dried, the risk is low, but it still intimidates me (mostly because I have a habit of testing the jerky before it's completely dry - and with good beef that's pretty safe

My jerky marinades are all based on this recipe (though I'll add different spices to experiment)

3 cups good soy sauce (Kikommans is about the weakest soy I ever use. I prefer to use a stronger soy sauce from asian groceries where you can buy gourmet soy sauces cheaper than store brands).

1 medium onion, pureed or grated finely (I liquify it in a blender or food processor)

liquid smoke (1 tsp of concentrate or 1/3 cup of brands like Colgin or Wright)

sweetener to taste (my original recipe called for 1/2 lb of brown sugar. I now use a teaspoon or two of blackstrap molasses and some splenda).


I marinate beef up to 24 hours. When I made the chicken jerky, I marinated it 36 hours just to be safest.