Learn All About Making Jerky With “The Jerky Bible”

By Ann Binlot January 23, 2015

learn making jerky bible dsc 0577 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

We thought we knew what jerky was until we read the description Kate Fidducia wrote in her new book “The Jerky Bible.” “There is a difference between drying and preserving meat and making meat jerky,” she writes. “When drying meat that has to be rehydrated later on, the meat has to be cooked first, then dried. When meat has been cooked and dried, it can be stored in a freezer for up to one year. Meat jerky, which does not require that it is cooked, can be stored in zip-top bags for two to six months.”

Jerky has been enjoying a resurgence in recent years, with people making their own as a way to save money, Paleo diet enthusiasts noshing away at the stuff, and athletes using it as a source of power-packed protein. What meat lover doesn’t love jerky? Fidducia, a cookbook author, decided to write “The Jerky Bible,” the definitive guide to jerky.

In it she traces the history of the beloved meat snack, from its beginnings as a Native American and ancient Egyptian snack, to its popularity today. She also goes over the right and wrong ways to prepare jerky, giving directions on how to dry, cure and preserve every type of meat — fish, poultry, beef and venison. Fidducia tells you how to select the right cut of meat, set the right temperatures, and how long you should prepare it.

Once you read “The Jerky Bible,” you’ll have the low-down on how to make this tasty snack that can be used to fill you up in between meals, as a post-workout snack, or something to take with you on hiking trips. You can even serve it to your friends and family!
“The Jerky Bible,” $16.95 at skyhorsepublishing.com.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…

Food & Drink

How to make The Last Word cocktail, a gin classic from another era

Impress your guests and make this circa 1916 drink

Last Word cocktail

Gin often plays a prominent role within classic cocktail culture. Such is the case with The Last Word cocktail, a delightful green concoction enlivened by the aromatic clear spirit. It's a cocktail that has practically lived two lives: one as it was born during the heyday of early 20th-century American bar life and another that started about two decades ago.

How did it come about? Drinks folklore says The Last Word was devised by Frank Fogarty at the Detroit Athletic Club circa 1916. Oddly enough, Fogarty was not a bartender but an award-winning vaudeville comedian. Regardless of his progression, he came up with a damn good cocktail that uses some rather obscure ingredients.

Food & Drink

This is how to make the perfect dirty martini

Making a flavorful dirty martini is surprisingly easy

Dirty Martini

In the pantheon of classic cocktails, there are few more beloved than the Martini. Sure, the Old Fashioned, Margarita, and Manhattan get a lot of love, but only the Martini is the fictional secret agent James Bond’s favorite cocktail.

Although he preferred his shaken, most bartenders will tell you that to make a Martini is better when stirred. The classic Martini is made with gin, vermouth, and an olive or lemon peel garnish. Some drinkers mistakenly believe the cocktail is made with vodka, but that would technically make it a “Vodka Martini” as opposed to a classic Martini.
A murky history

Food & Drink

Ranked: 5 popular Scotch whisky bottles (all under $50)

There are deals to be found in the Scotch whisky world

A trio of whiskies

If you’re new to whisky, the phrase “budget Scotch whisky” might seem like an oxymoron on par with jumbo shrimp, dull roar, or working vacation. But it isn’t. Sure, you can spend an awful lot of money on one bottle of long-aged, complex single-malt Scotch whisky, but you can also find myriad value single malts and blended Scotch whiskies well worth adding to your home bar.

For those new to the spirit, Scotch whisky (only the US and Ireland use the ‘e’ in whiskey) is an aged spirit made from malt, grain, or a mixture of malt and grain whiskies. Also, since it’s called ‘Scotch, ' that should let you in on the fact that, like bourbon, Scotch whisky must be produced in Scotland.
Where to find budget Scotch whisky