Jerky for Pets Recipe

Jerky for Pets Recipe

by Wendy Nan Rees

Pre-Cooking Jerky is a way to really make sure your meat product is very well cooked but you can also do it just by drying the meat and skipping the precooking method.

1. Slice the meat into long pieces that are a maximum 1/4 inch thick. Some people find it easier to slice meat that is partially frozen. Slicing across the grain will result in a more tender jerky. Remove all visible fat. It is not necessary to completely freeze when this pre-cooking method is used. 

2. Prepare a marinade in a large saucepan. A recipe for marinade follows, but any flavor you prefer can be used. Make enough marinade to cover all the meat strips; the amount will vary with the amount of jerky you make and the saucepan you choose. 

A general guideline is 1 - 2 cups marinade for each one pound batch of meat. 

3. Bring the marinade to a full rolling boil over medium heat. Add a few meat strips, making sure that they are covered by the marinade. Return to a full boil.

4. Using tongs, immediately remove meat from the marinade to prevent over-cooking. Repeat the immersion process until all meat has been given the heat treatment. 

5. Place precooked strips on drying racks with a small space between each strip. Dry in dehydrator at 160F for 3-4 hours, then lower temperature to 140F for about another 4 hours or until dry. 

If drying in a household oven, the times tend to be longer; plan on about 8 hours at 160F and then more time at 140F. It is important that the temperatures not be higher, because you want to dry the meat for safety, not just cook it. Bacteria require moisture to grow so completely dry jerky is important for safety. 

6. To test jerky for dryness, remove a piece from the dryer, cool it, then bend it. It should crack but not break and there should be no moist spots. Package air tight (so moisture cannot re-enter the meat) and store at room temperature for about 3 weeks, or freeze for longer storage. Always in an air tight container 

This marinade works well for , beef, turkey or chicken jerky. It is adapted from a recipe by Sunset Books. It makes enough for about 2 pounds of meat. 

1/4 c soy sauce

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ c Beef or Chicken Broth

1 teaspoon parsley dried

optional  be sure to use salt if you do not use the smoke flavored always be sure to check with your VET BEFORE COOKING FOR YOUR DOG or CAT!

1/4 teaspoon hickory smoke flavored salt