Jerky is one unique dried food that is loved by all. Whether a person is young or old, everyone loves to snack on some jerky every now and then. If you spend a lot of time outdoors in the lap of nature, then you’d surely keep some jerky with you whenever you’re out for extended periods of time. I know I do. Whenever I am out trekking or hiking, I make sure I have some delicious jerky with me. It’s easy to carry, easy to eat, and it provides me with nutrients in a tasty and healthy package.

Some of the best food dehydrator recipes I’ve come across in recent times have been jerky recipes. And why not, there are a lot of different types of jerky that you can make. Almost every kind of lean meat can be prepared in a dehydrator to make jerky in the flavors of your choice. Today, I am going to share with you a special pork jerky recipe that will allow you to make jerky that’s finger-licking good and healthy as well. Here are the things you will need to make this pork jerky in your dehydrator. 

Ingredients

1 (1 3/4 lb) piece of boneless pork leg ( lower shank or upper  Circle B Ranch Boston Butt)

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. kosher or sea coarse salt

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. brown sugar

Recipe Time

Preparation Time: 1 Hour

Cooking Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 6 Hours

Instructions

Image Source: https://stocksnap.io/photo/GI3XTVX4EQ

Dehydrating pork to make jerky is easy and here are the steps that you’d need to follow. But keep in mind that a recipe is at best a guideline and if you want to make your own version of pork jerky, you will need to experiment and modify the recipe accordingly.  For this recipe, the instructions are as follows:

1) First, you will need to cut the pork into the kind of slices you want to dry. You can ask your butcher to slice the pork in strips for you and if you want to do it on your own, make sure you freeze the meat for about 1 hour so that it’s easier to cut into thin slices. Freezing firms up the meat and makes knife movements easy through the meat.

2) Once the meat is sufficiently cold, you can start cutting it with the grain. Slice the meat into thin slices that are about ¼” thick. If you see any fat on the meat, remove it with your knife.

3) Add the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well together. Add the pork slices to the bowl of ingredients and let the liquid cover the pork slices completely. Cover the bowl and let this mixture stand for about ten to twenty minutes and then drain it in a sieve.

4) Place your pork slices on the mesh trays in the dehydrator and set the unit to heat at 155 to 160 degrees F.

5) Let the pork slices dehydrate for about 5-8 hours and then check to see if the pork slices are properly dried. You will know when they are ready if the pieces bend before they break or crack under pressure.

6) Let the jerky cool down and then take it off the trays and store it in an airtight container. You can consume properly stored jerky even after 2-3 months of storage.

Recipe Notes

For those of you who prefer jerky with a smokier taste, the original version of this recipe calls for 1 tsp. liquid smoke. This ingredient is optional because it is a carcinogen.

As well, there are a few things you need to take care of in order to  safely dehydrate pork jerky. The temperature of the dehydrator must be high enough (around 165 degrees F) to kill all germs, bacteria, and pathogens that are present in the meat. When you place the pork slices on the dehydrator, make sure the pieces are not touching or overlapping as it can lead to an increased drying time. The pork pieces will be hot when you take them out of the dehydrator, so make sure you let them cool down before checking them with the bending test to see if the jerky is ready.

Conclusion

Well, that was my pork jerky recipe in a dehydrator. I hope this recipe was easy to follow and you were able to successfully make pork jerky in your dehydrator. This type of jerky is not only delicious to eat, but it is also filled with nutrients that can have a positive impact on your health. As with any other food item, make sure you don’t eat too much pork jerky either as it can make you feel sick. Remember, moderation is the key. Have fun dehydrating!

About the Author

Hi there! I am Linda! I am a housewife and Chief Editor at DehydratorBlog.com. I have always been interested in cooking and eating a healthy diet. I felt that there is very little information out there about the advantages of dehydrated foods and that’s why I started my blog; to increase awareness about dehydrator and dehydrated foods. Please visit my Dehydrator blog for more information or simply leave a comment on any of the posts on my blog to get in touch! I’d love to hear your ideas about the kind of posts you’d like to see on my blog.