Jerky

This article is about dried meat. For uneven motion pictures, see Jerkiness.
"Beef jerky" redirects here. For other uses, see Beef jerky (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Jerk (cooking).
Jerky
Orange-marinated beef jerky
Meat drying to make jerky. Gandhola Monastery, Lahaul, India

Jerky or “charqui” is lean trimmed meat cut into strips and dehydrated to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt to prevent bacteria growth. The word "jerky" derives from the Quechua word ch'arki which means "dried, salted meat".[1][2][3]

Modern manufactured jerky is often marinated, prepared with a seasoned spice rub or liquid, or smoked with low heat (usually under 70 °C or 160 °F). Store-bought jerky commonly includes sweeteners such as brown sugar.

Jerky is ready-to-eat, needs no additional preparation and can be stored for months without refrigeration. To ensure maximum shelf-life, a proper protein-to-moisture content is required in the final cured product.

Many products which are sold as jerky consist of highly processed, chopped and formed meat rather than traditional sliced whole-muscle meat.[citation needed] These products may contain more fat, but moisture content, as in the whole-muscle product, must meet a 0.75 to 1 moisture-to protein ratio in the US.[4][full citation needed]

  1. ^ Ajacopa, Teofilo Laime (2007). Diccionario bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha Quechua – Castellano Castellano – Quechua [Bilingual dictionary Quechua-Spanish Spanish – Quechua] (PDF) (in Spanish and Quechua) (2 ed.). La Paz. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Globe trotting: Ecuador". Taipei Times. 15 July 2006. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Feet in the Trough: Cured Meat". The Economist. 2006-12-19. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  4. ^ USDA Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book, p. 83.