One of the common dried foods that are liked by almost all people is the pork jerky. It does not matter that a person is old or young; he or she will like to consume pork jerky as a snack at any time of the day.
While spending a lot of time outdoors in the camping or hiking activities, the pork jerky is one of the best snacks that you can carry along. It not only provides you healthy nutrients but also keeps you full for a long time. It is easy to eat and carry as a healthy food package for you on the long trips or journeys.
Making pork jerky in the food dehydrator is quite an easy process. But do you have any idea about how to make pork jerky in a dehydrator?
In the below article, we will guide you about the method of making finger-licking pork jerky in a dehydrator in a very easy manner. You can add or exclude the ingredients according to your choice and preferences.
So, please continue reading!
List of important things required for making pork jerky in a food dehydrator
Below are the important things that needed for making pork jerky in a food dehydrator:
- Food dehydrator
- ½ lb. (225 g) ground pork
- ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) sesame oil
- 2 tsp. (10 ml) fish sauce
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) light soy sauce
- 2 tsp. (10 ml) 5-spice powder
- 1 tsp. (5 ml) Chinese rice wine
- ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) super-fine sugar
- 1/8 tsp. (0.6 ml) ground white pepper
- Vegetable oil
- 1/8 tsp. (0.6 ml) red food coloring
Step by step instructions for making pork jerky in a food dehydrator
Below is the step by step instructions for making pork jerky in a food dehydrator:
Step 1: Prepare the mixture and marinate the pork jerky
Take ½ lb. (225 g) Ground pork, red food color and the seasonings and mix them in a medium-size bowl. After that, add the fish sauce, 5-spice powder, sesame oil, wine, sugar, white paper, and soy sauce in it. Now, mix the food color with the help of the spoon’s back so that it gets distributed uniformly. You should mix it in the circular motion for the good outcomes. There will be consistency in the mixture like the paste after it gets prepared.
Step 2: Keep the mixture in the fridge
After preparing the mixture, refrigerate it in the refrigerator. Cover the bowl comprising the mixture of the meat with the help of stick wrap and allow it to set for around 3 hours in the fridge.
Step 3: Turn ON and set the dehydrator temperature
Turn ON your food dehydrator and preheat it for around 10 minutes. Set its temperature at the medium heat during the process of preheating.
Step 4: Spread the mixture on parchment paper
Take the parchment paper sheet and spread the mixture of the meat on it. You can use the spoons back for spreading the mixture on the parchment paper sheet, but till the time its thickness is around 1/5 inches. You should keep in mind that during this step, the parchment paper should be laid flat on the kitchen countertop. The layer of the pork mixture should spread in the uniform layer as possible. If your meat is getting stick to the spoon then, apply some vegetable oil before spreading the meat on the paper.
Step 5: Use the sheet of the wire mesh
Now, with the help of the wire mesh sheet, make an indentation. Press the wire mesh over the pork mixture’s too softly so that a weak pattern created on the meat’s top with some pressure. Don’t forget to scrub the oil on the wire mesh so that the meat does not get stick to it. You can buy the wire mesh from the grocery store or the market that supplies barbecuing.
Step 6: Place the parchment sheet on dehydrator trays
Now, take the trays of your dehydrator and transfer the meat to it. Cautiously place the sheet of meat on the tray of your dehydrator and put the tray back inside the dehydrator. You might also cut the pork in some pieces if it is tough for you to move the whole pork mass in one time.
Step 7: Start the dehydrating process
Dehydrate the pork meat in the food dehydrator for around 6 hours to 12 hours period at the high temperature of 165 degrees F. But, you should check the pork jerky status after the first 6 hours. The drying process of the pork jerky will get completed if the center of the meat is dry entirely, and its edges start turning crispy. You should continue the drying process of the pork jerky if it’s not done after 6 hours. But keep in mind to check the drying progress after every 1 hour.
Step 8: Cut the jerky pork strips for storage
Now, after the process of drying pork jerky gets completed, cut it into the strips with the help of the knife. You can cut the pork jerky into the desired shapes and sizes with the pizza cutter or the kitchen scissors. Moreover, you can use the wire mesh’s left indentation for better results.
Step 9: Store the pork jerky
After cutting the pork jerky in desired sizes, store them in an airtight jar or container. There should be no impact of heat, moisture, and sunlight on the place of the pantry where you keep these jars. The right storage of the pork jerky extends its shelf life for a long time.
Helpful tips for making pork jerky in a dehydrator
The following are few useful tips that you can utilize for making pork jerky in a dehydrator:
- If you want a smokier flavor of your pork jerky then, you can add some liquid smoke in it. But it is optional to use as it is a carcinogen.
- The dehydrator temperature must be high enough for killing the bacteria, germs, and pathogens present in the meat of the pork.
- While placing the slices of the pork meat on the dehydrator trays, you should keep in mind that its pieces should not overlap or touch each other. The overlapping can result in longer drying time.
- Before doing the bending test of the pork jerky after the completion of the drying process, cool down the pieces correctly.
- Before marinating and slicing the pork jerky, the maximum trim amount of fat from it as this will increase the shelf life of the dried jerky.
- For making the pork jerky, the variety of Pork tenderloin is the right choice.
- If you want to enjoy the full flavor of all the ingredients of the pork jerky then, marinate it for 24 hours period.
Final Word
So, this was our recipe of making pork jerky in a dehydrator. It is not only delicious to eat but also comprises of the nutrients that are quite useful for our body. But don’t forget to eat in the moderation as its overeating can make you sick too. You can serve it to your family and friends on some party or get-together. It is easy to carry it during your outdoor activities like camping or mountaineering. You feel full for a long time after eating it.
We hope that you find the above method of making pork jerky in a dehydrator easy to understand and follow. Prepare the pork jerky in bulk and store it for a long time for later consumption.
Do you have any other recipe of making pork jerky in a dehydrator? Is there any step that you are not able to understand in the above article? You can share all your queries and thoughts with us in the below comment box without any worry.
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