Thai jerky is naturally cured meat marinated in a spicy, sweet and salty marinade. This recipe can be used for beef, pork, fish or mushrooms for the vegan version.
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.
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Notes
Meat, fish or veg - In this recipe I used beef eye of round and pork neck. You could use any cut of meat that does bot have loads of connective tissue. Well marbled meat gives the best results because the fat makes it juicer. You could also use fish, king oyster mushroom or even boiled carrots. When making it vegan, make sure to omit the fish sauce and use a vegan curry paste.
Curry paste - Of course it's always best to make your own curry paste, but feel free to use a well known store-bought brand like Mae Ploy.
Palm sugar - If you can find palm sugar, then use it. If not, simply use regular sugar. Honey is OK too, but use a mild honey. Strong favoured honey will interfere with the curry paste flavours.
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.