Thai Beef And Pork Jerky (Video)

Authentic Thai jerky is often made with beef or pork and sun dried in a naturally humid climate.

Both Thai beef jerky and Thai pork jerky are easy to make and dries quickly.

If you've had this in the street food markets in Thailand, you know it's a delicious snack that differs from the American version of jerky or dried meat.

We use our own homemade Thai red chilli paste as a marinade in this jerky recipe, but you can easily use a good store bought version.

The same recipe can also be used as an alternative marinade to cure biltong or bresaola.

Together with Thai spiced cashews, Thai jerky makes the perfect snack with an ice-cold beer.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Video
Drying options
Storage instructions
Frequently asked questions
Useful equipment
Related recipes
Recipe
Comments

Ingredients

Meat - For the beef jerky, we use Eye of round, but you could use pretty much any cut of beef. Marbled beef makes the best jerky because of the higher fat content. For the pork jerky, I like using pork neck. It's tender and has lots of fat, which makes it ideal. You could also use pork belly.
Curry paste - Red curry paste is the preferred choice. Make your own or use a Mae Ploy brand.
Fish sauce - I ferment my own fish sauce by blending 1 kg of whole small fish with 1L of water and 20% salt. Ferment it for 1 year, and you have fish sauce. Alternatively, just buy fish sauce. It's an important ingredient for making Thai jerky, so don't skip it.
Soy sauce - If you can find an unpasteurized soy sauce, use that as it has live enzymes which tenderizes the meat. Otherwise, just use a good brand of soy sauce.
Sugar - Palm sugar or coconut sugar works great. Adds depth of flavour. Palm sugar and coconut palm sugar are different, by the way. They come from different palm. If you can't find it, just use regular sugar.
Garlic - Fresh or dried. If using dried, use it sparingly.
Salt - It's best to use non-iodized salt to avoid chemical aftertaste. It's faint, but important if you want to make the best jerky.

Instructions

Picture steps for making thai pork and beef jerky.

Slice the meat into trips or thin steaks. There are two ways of cutting it, so we'll show both.
Cut across the grain of the meat. This is so that the jerky will be easily chewable.
If you cut strips, set them aside. If you cut thin steak, beat them with a meat mallet until about ½ centimetre or ⅕th of an inch thick. Don't go and measure it, it's not that critical.
Make the marinade and thorough mix with the meat. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid then let it marinade for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days in the fridge.

Once marinated, it's time to dry. Place on meat hooks or lay flat on dehydrator trays.
Hang in a well ventilated area away from flies or insects. If using a dehydrator, set it to 35 °C or 95 °F until you're happy with it. Could take anything from 12 to 24 hours. If you want it drier, let it go further.
The perfect texture should be soft and slightly leathery.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container or vacuum sealed.

Video

Drying options

Curing chamber - You can cure the jerky in a curing fridge at a temperature of 18 °C or 64 °F and humidity set to 70%. This method takes longer and yields a very evenly cured result.
Fridge - Fridge curing works well if you don't have any special equipment. Most fridges do a great job of drying out the air, with a relative humidity of about 30%. This can result in overly dried jerky quickly. Monitor it often. If using this drying method, make sure the fridge is spotless, and you're not touching the meat or storing other foods close to it. Logically, a bar fridge or extra drinks fridge is ideal, as you're not using it to store other foods.
Outside - The most authentic way of doing it. In the sun, outside. Make sure to close it with fly nets and keep animals away.
Dehydrator - This method is best for small restaurants or those living in urban areas with limited space. It works quick, and it works well, but take care not to overdry the jerky. Monitor often.

Storage instructions

Store airtight in a cool, dry place or in the fridge. It will keep for weeks in the fridge.

For longer storage, store in the freezer wrapped tightly to avoid freezer burn.

To preserve the flavour, it's best to vacuum seal in small portions.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this recipe to make fish or vegan jerky?

Yes, follow the same instructions, but replace the meat with either king oyster mushroom or cleaned fish fillet.

How to eat Thai jerky with sticky rice?

Not all types of jerky are suitable for eating with sticky rice. It's best to cut the jerky into smaller, bite-sized pieces before the marinating stage.

That way, once cured, you can easily wrap the sticky rice around the jerky and dip in a Thai dipping sauce. Simply consisting of lime juice, chilli, fish sauce, and palm sugar.

Can I dry jerky in the oven?

No, Thai jerky is not the cooked American version of jerky. It happens at a low temperature, and attempting to dry it in the oven will just cook the meat instead of cure it.

Useful equipment

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Recipe

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