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What is Beef Jerky?

Real Beef Jerky is made from cuts of round whole muscle beef that has been cut into strips, trimmed of fat, marinated in a seasoned sauce, then dehydrated or smoked @ low heat (150 degrees to 175 degrees) for a period of 3 to 6 hours.You can watch a video on how to make beef jerky here.

The outcome is a delicious meat snack that’s loaded high in protein, free of artificial preservatives, and has a shelf life without refrigeration of 3 to 12 months.

Don’t be fooled by “chopped and formed” beef jerky. A majority of the in store beef jerky products you see come from processed chopped and formed meat loaded with additives and fillers to keep down cost. If you find cheap beef jerky for $ 9.99 a pound in the store, most likely it is loaded with chemical preservatives used

Where did beef jerky come from?

Beef Jerky originated in South Africa in the 17th century from imported Dutch dried meat recipes and practices. There is no major difference between beef jerky and biltong besides naming and possible thickness of the meat. Also biltong has no added sugar- some jerky may also have no sugar but it depends on the marinade. Beef Jerky tends to be thin sliced and easier to eat; biltong is much thicker sometimes over 1” in thickness and tends to be drier. Both meat snacks fall if into the “Dehydrated Meat Snack” or “Cured Meats” family.

Is Beef Jerky Healthy? - YES

Depending on the brand of jerky you are buying, the best jerky usually has 14g or more of protein per one ounce serving. In a one ounce serving there is usually less than 6g of fat and between 200- 600 mg of sodium. The easiest way to counteract the sodium content is drinking plenty of water.