A friend of mine recently let me sample some of his homemade beef jerky. I thought it was the best jerky I’d ever had, so I picked his brain and found out which dehydrator he had. That of course meant that I needed one, so I got one and got to work. My first attempt at jerky was this Cajun jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. Boy, was I (and my neighbors) impressed! In about 14 hours we were all chowing down on perfectly-dried, lightly spicy Cajun beef jerky. Fantastic!
You Can’t Beat The Snackmaster Pro
This was my first time making Cajun Jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro, so I made sure to take very good notes for future batches. I’ve made teriyaki and black pepper jerky on my smoker before with great success, but I found that the Nesco Snackmaster Pro made the process 100 times easier. And although I usually prefer making my own spice mixes, I’ve opted to stick with pre-made flavorings for now.
More Trays Means More Jerky
I like to load up my dehydrator. To do that I picked up a handful of extra trays. They really add a whole lot more drying space! Since I have to rotate my trays, I write a number on each one on a piece of blue painter’s tape so I can keep track of them.
- 15.5″ DIAMETER TRAYS: This Add-A-Tray 2-pack…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…
- Compatible with 15½” diameter trays. This Fruit…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…
- IDEAL FOR SMALL AND STICKY FOODS: Removable mesh…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…
Paranoia Rules
I admit, I’m paranoid about my jerky. Even if I use pink curing salt. The sodium nitrites in the salt kill harmful bacteria as long as you’ve dried the meat properly and store it in air-tight containers away from sunlight. I keep mine in the fridge even though it’s not required. Even though I’ve made my share of jerky I still consider myself a newbie. And it’s not like I don’t have the room in the fridge. So in it goes!
Check out my guide to using the Nesco Snackmaster Pro. You will be making fantastic jerky at home in no time at all!
Cajun Jerky on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef top round sliced against the grain, 1/4″ or thinner
- 1 tablespoon AC Legg Cajun Jerky Seasoning heaping
- ½ tablespoon dried red pepper flake to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon pink curing salt optional if you’re going to refrigerate the finished product
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Place beef in a resealable bag or container.
- In a small bowl whisk together the seasoning, red pepper flake if using, curing salt and water. Pour over the meat and seal. Shake to coat.
- Refrigerate the meat for up to 8 hours, shaking or massaging every hour or so to get the marinade distributed and absorbed evenly.
- Remove meat from the marinade and place flat onto Nesco trays. Do not overlap meat.
- Add the dehydrator top, set to maximum temperature setting and dehydrate for 5 hours, rotating the trays bottom to top every 2 hours or so.
- To test for doneness remove a piece and let cool slightly. Try to bend the meat. If it gives and starts to tear at the bend it is done. If it bends without tearing return to the dehydrator and let it run another 15 minutes and test again. If the meat is crunchy it is overdone but still good. It’s really personal preference as to how you like your jerky. Soft, chewy, crunchy. There’s no wrong here.
- Let cool before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
- Compatible with 15½” diameter trays. This Fruit…
- BPA FREE: Made of high-quality food grade plastic…
