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From the steak, I certainly hope not.
160F and enough time(not sure how much) is indeed enough to kill anything. Just don't compare that to eating a steak cooked to 125. There's a lot of protection from being a contiguous piece of meat. A lot of pathogens that wouldn't be killed at 125 can't penetrate muscle fiber, so they're surface-only and are killed by the searing and outer cooking temperatures.
as long as you dry out the water and fat, bacteria got no place to live, that's why you'll notice that some more fatty pieces will glisten, this is you drying out the fat, keep those in longer.When you do that shit up in a dryer, do you sanitize it in a low oven after? Or do you just risk it? Ive always ben afraid of just drying and stick it in a 275F oven for a few min after it dries.
And even though the meat is still in the frige, marinading, im sure the pathogens are still dividing and increasing in numbers, albeit in a slower rate.
I saw recommendations that any wild game be frozen for an extended period, 30+ days, to ensure any pathogens were killed before making jerky.
also fridge thermometerOnly thing that is going to grow in the fridge is Listeria, so just make sure you don't drop it on the floor before you marinate it.
You'll want to freeze wild game the same reason they freeze sushi grade fish - to kill parasites not pathogens. How low your freezing temperature is determines how long you'll need to freeze it.
i just ordered a jerky gun, gonna test that outOperation beef jerky worked out nicely. I made a ton of beef jerky and a bit of salmon jerky. Initially, I didn't like the salmon actually. But a night in the fridge and it seemed better. I put it in some grits crumbled up with some sausage, it partially rehydrated and they were amazing.
The beef jerky itself is amazing. Top tier jerky. I always have a place in my heart for those Duke's short sausage sticks but this is better than any strip style jerky I've ever had. Going to try a mre asian variety next time.
I also did some broccoli. I did it by blanching the broccoli, then seasoning wih salt, pepper, and garlic and then drying. It actually took longer than the jerky at 135, but it worked out amazing. I really love it just as a snack.
So up next I want to do some asian style jerky, some peppers, some more broccoli, and maybe another fish.