Jerky Boys

Success is being knocked down nine times and getting up ten.

-Jon Bon Jovi

It is quite evident that my blogging has fallen off again, however I tend to become motivated by adversity. This blog was started by a heartache- you will find that my very first entry questioned whether someone could die from a broken heart . Well, yet another year has started brokenheartedly and I now feel motivated to set some goals and begin writing again. Each year, a man will come along and dazzle me with words. They marinate my foolish heart with wonderful dreams and empty promises only to slowly disengage with little or no explanation. This has left my heart chewy and salty, not unlike a dry, cracked piece of leather - or perhaps beef jerky. Today's question is: What is the process of making beef jerky?

Visual representation of my heart

A: Beef jerky is strips of marinated, dried meat that can be kept without refrigeration. Generally jerky is made with a lean cut of beef, such as sirloin, top round or round eye, as fat left on the final product will cause it to spoil more quickly. The meat is cut into strips approximately 1/2" thick against the grain. The strips of beef are then marinated for approximately 24 hours in a simple mixture of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion salt, garlic powder and pepper (although many variations exist). The meat is then dehydrated either in a dehydrator or in a low temperature oven - if using the oven method, it is advised that the oven door be left slightly ajar for the moisture to evaporate. Interestingly, beef jerky is selected by astronauts on space flights because it is light weight and high in nutrition. I wonder if I can interest them in taking my heart on a space mission with them...

Sources:

How to Make Beef Jerky: 7 steps (with pictures)

How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven

Wikipedia - Jerky (food)