Process steps for beef jerky processing
(1)Selection of materials
High-quality beef shall be selected as drying materials, it should be cut into strips with uniform length and thickness.
(2) Pickling
You can add recipes according to local custom, for example, the beef could mixed with sugar, garlic, ginger, cumin, five-spice powder, light soy sauce and chili for pickling.
Drying temperature requirements
1) After marinating for 5-6 hours, the materials are loaded into the drying room for two hours, and the temperature should be quickly raised to 60℃~65℃. There is no need to dehumidify at this time because this is a fermentation process, and it is necessary to prevent the beef from changing color and its taste. After preheating, the temperature should be adjusted to 45℃~50℃, and the humidity should be controlled within the range of about 50% to 55%.
2) Deceleration drying stage
This stage is mainly for color development and shrinkage setting. The temperature should be controlled between 52~54℃, the humidity should be controlled at about 45%, and the drying time should be 3~4 hours. In this stage, the beef gradually changes from light red to bright red.
3) Rapid drying stage
At this stage, temperature is the main factor which need to be controlled well. In order to strengthen the drying speed, the temperature should be increased to 60~65℃, the drying time should be 10~12 hours, the relative humidity should be controlled at about 35%, and the final humidity of the beef should be controlled at 15% or less.