The Top 10 Best Beef Jerky for a Protein Fix

Considerations When Purchasing Beef Jerky

Jerky is any kind of beef that has been salt cured and reduced to less than 50% of its overall moisture content. While the curing and drying process toughens the flesh, it also concentrates its taste.

From at least the time of the Ancient Egyptians, meat has been preserved in this manner. The word jerky is derived from the Quechua word charki, which means to burn (meat). This term was used by the Quechua, a primitive South American tribe that sliced and pounded boned and defatted meat from llamas and alpacas and sprinkled it with salt. This meat was then either smoked over an open fire or sun cured.

The Spanish Conquistadors discovered this method of preservation, known as charqui, and when they came farther north, they discovered that North American indigenous also dried meat from elk, buffalo, and deer. The name charqui remained, but the Spanish pronunciation made it seem jerky.

Jerky gained popularity among early pioneers who saw it as an easy food source when times were tough or they were on the road. They also discovered that adding spices to the jerky made it considerably tastier.

USDA Jerky Terminology and Beef Cuts

Whether you create your own jerky or purchase it, the cut of beef used to produce it will impart a distinct taste. A soft sirloin cut yields more tender jerky, and although flank beef from the back underbelly might be fatty and rougher, it has greater taste.

Some consider range fed 100% quality, visibly lean flank steak that has been USDA inspected to be the perfect beef for jerky.

Beef round may be top round, which is within the thigh muscle and is sometimes fairly sensitive, or bottom round, which is cheaper and rougher. The eve of round is the oval muscle in the back leg, which is often employed in commercial jerky production. One pound of jerky requires around five pounds of meat.

Beef jerky, which signifies the jerky was prepared from a single piece of beef, is one of the USDA terms for commercial jerky that you may find on packaging. A chunked and formed beef jerky is created from beef chunks that are molded, shaped, and then cut into strips. Similarly, ground and formed or chopped and formed beef jerky is created from molded and sliced ground or chopped meat.

Jerky that includes extenders or binders must be labeled as such, for example, beef and soy protein concentrate jerky. A beef jerky sausage will have been diced and dried at some point during the production process, and it must be in a casing.

Commercial Jerky Manufacturing

Whether it’s beef or another meat, it’s normally processed in comparable methods for manufacturing jerky, particularly at the beginning. To remove bones, connective tissues, and fat from the meat, it must first be processed. At this time, any contaminants or undesirable tissues or components are also eliminated. Depending on how the meat will be cured, it is either sliced, ground, or cut and frozen at this phase.

Typically, the meat is dipped into a curing solution and kept in there long enough for it to cure but not so long that hazardous germs begin to proliferate. Some producers may additionally inject curing solution into the meat.

The curing solution is often a combination of water, salt, and sodium nitrite that has been heated to a food-safe temperature. The salt dehydrates the meat, while the sodium nitrite stabilizes its color and prevents it from becoming rancid. The curing process not only adds flavor to jerky and extends its shelf life, but it also prevents hazardous germs from forming in the meat.

The curing solution is often combined with the brine or liquid seasoning, which may include spices, garlic, soy sauce, black pepper, hickory salt, or a variety of other tastes or flavors. Liquid smoke may also be used to give the jerky a smoky flavor without actually smoking it during cooking. Tenderizers such as polyphosphates may also be used to minimize the harshness of the jerky, however using them does need extra drying time.

When the meat has been cured and seasoned, it is often formed into blocks and chilled to a temperature of 18F to 28F. After it’s cool enough to slice, cut it down the grain of the flesh. The strips are placed on wire trays in a drying oven and cooked to roughly 160F before being cooled to around 90F.

This step of cooking may take up to 12 hours, and the moisture content of the meat should be decreased to between 20% and 40%. The jerky is then frequently wrapped in a vacuum pack to keep it fresh for longer.

What Is the Different Between Jerky and Biltong?

While both are produced from dried meat, biltong, unlike jerky, is not cooked at all. This South African snack is steeped in a brine of salt and vinegar and let to air dry for up to two weeks.

Biltong is often produced from different beef cuts than jerky, and it is available in broader strips that are easier to hang for air drying. Biltong has an acidic taste rather than the conventional smokey flavor of jerky since it is steeped in vinegar.

Meat Security

Jerky production is regulated as a commercial meat product by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service via federal inspections (FSIS). The final jerky is examined in addition to applicable testing on the quality of the raw beef utilized.

Nitrites and Nitrates Problems in Beef Jerky

According to a new research, nitrates found in processed meats and beef jerky may lead to mania. The research included around 1000 persons who had or did not have mental illnesses. As compared to individuals who did not have a history of major mental illnesses, those who were hospitalized with mania had more than three times the chances of having ever eaten beef cured with nitrate.

Various diet components were examined, however cured meat stood out among the research participants. The study’s results show that certain kinds of nutrition, as well as the type and volume of bacteria in the stomach, may contribute to specific brain problems.

This connection was investigated further in the laboratory. At 14 days of commencing the diet, animals given nitrate-prepared beef jerky displayed hyperactivity and abnormal sleep habits. The quantity of jerky they were fed was similar to one jerky stick or hot dog per day for a person. The researchers subsequently collaborated with a producer to create a nitrate-free jerky, and the experiment was repeated. This time, the animals given nitrate-free jerky responded similarly to the control group fed regular animal chow.

While these are preliminary results, research into the relationship between nitrates and mental health will undoubtedly continue. Nitrates and nitrites have previously been studied extensively in the context of cancer and several neurological illnesses.

Nitrates and nitrites are found in water, soil, and foods such as vegetables, as well as being produced in our bodies, where they seem to work as natural anti-microbials. In fact, vegetables are the most common source of nitrates entering the body. They are also used as preservatives in processed foods such as bacon and jerky.

Nitrate and nitrite ions are often confused because nitrite may be converted to nitrate and nitrate can be readily changed to nitrite. This nitrite may be converted in the body to either nitric oxide, which is a crucial signaling molecule in our circulatory system, or to harmful chemicals known as N-nitroso compounds (NOC).

Nitrate have been found to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in people. Those who consume more meat and water nitrates have a greater risk of stomach, kidney, and colon cancer than those who consume less of both.

NOCs include nitrosamines and nitrosamides, both of which may develop in the body. Nitrosamines are also produced when meats are cooked at high temperatures. Pre-made or pre-formed nitrosamines may also be found in cigarette smoke, beer, and other malt-brewed beverages.

While veggies are most people’s main source of nitrates, antioxidants like vitamin C in vegetables actually help prevent nitrosamines from developing in the body. This, along with the fact that vegetables are seldom cooked at high temperatures, implies that there is no worry about nitrate levels from eating a lot of veggies.

Excessive nitrate or nitrite exposure may also induce methemoglobinemia, a blood condition in which blood cannot transfer oxygen to the body’s tissues.

On the plus side, nitrates may benefit physical fitness by improving the efficiency of the energy-producing sections of our cells (the mitochondria). This may result in lower oxygen costs during exercise and a longer duration before fatigue.

Nutritional Information for Beef Jerky

While nutritional content varies by brand, a 3.5 oz portion of beef jerky includes around 150 calories. This contains around 2.8 grams of carbohydrates and little less than 2 grams of fat. Saturated fat accounts for almost half of these 2 grams of fat.

Beef jerky is a naturally high protein snack that may provide up to 67.6% of your daily protein requirements. The protein in jerky provides all nine necessary amino acids that the body needs to operate and flourish.

Jerky is also rich in vitamin B12, with one serving supplying around 39% of the daily value. It is also high in phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and zinc.

Sodium

A 3.5 ounce portion of beef jerky may contain up to 2,790 mg of salt, which is higher than the current daily guideline of 2,300 mg. Salt kills hazardous microorganisms as well as giving taste to jerky, so a reduced sodium jerky as an occasional treat is presently the best alternative available for individuals managing their salt consumption.

Storing Beef Jerky

Jerky prepared commercially has a shelf life of around 12 months. If the label instructs you to refrigerate after opening or consume within a certain time period, you should do so to guarantee that the jerky stays food safe.

Jerky is susceptible to mold growth because, although most of the moisture has been removed, there is still enough moisture remaining to offer the ideal habitat for mold to develop. Jerky that has been fully dehydrated is less susceptible to mold, but it is also considerably drier, which may not suit all tastes (or teeth!).

Conclusion

nitrates, which are probably better consumed in moderation or as a treat on occasion. Some beef jerky is now manufactured without sodium nitrite, making it more appropriate for a diet supplement, while caution should still be used due to the greater salt level of jerky. In this review, we addressed some of the problems with consuming jerky, particularly those containing nitrites.

We hope you liked reading about some of the jerky argument as well as the history of this popular food. We also hope that if you’re searching for a protein snack as part of your diet or lifestyle, or a simple meal to take on the trail, you’ll go no farther than our list of the top ten best beef jerky for a protein pick-up.