Owner Manual

14
BEEF
Choose lean cuts. Beef flank steak, round or rump work better than beef chuck or rib.
POULTRY
All poultry MUST be cooked before drying. Steaming or roasting is the best method.
Chicken breasts are leaner than dark meat.
FISH
A good idea is to steam the fish before dehydrating or, if you chose to bake it, preheat
your conventional oven to 200℉ and bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is flaky.
When you are drying fish, sole and flounder are good choices.
Jerky
Dehydrating meat without prior cooking will produce the rigid chewy style of meat
known as jerky. It is one of the oldest known forms of meat preservation. Because
jerky is made without cooking the meat first, it is important to start with quality meat,
and to have a clean and sanitary work area. Also, be sure to thoroughly cleanse the
work surfaces when done. Remember that Jerky is the only meat to be placed
uncooked in the dehydrator.
Making Beef Jerky
As with nearly all foods, it is important to start with a quality cut of meat. Select a
lean flank or round steak about 1 to 1/2 inches thick. Trim off all fat and connective
tissue. Fat hampers the ability of the meat to dry, and the connective tissue will make
for a tough jerky to chew.
For easier cutting, place meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes to partially freeze.
Then turn it over and freeze for an additional 15 minutes. Cut across the grain into
strips about 1/8 of an inch thick.
Marinate the strips for at least 3 hours, or even overnight. This gives the meat a
unique flavor and at the same time tenderizes the meat. Increase the marinating time