What is jerky and why it is a great choice not only for outdoor enthusiasts

Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast, soldier, traveler or modern hunter, you should definitely know about jerky. You don't know what it is, what it is good for and where to buy it? Then you've come to the right place!

What is jerky?

The word jerky comes from English and is used for dried meat. Its history dates back to prehistoric times, when our predecessors already knew that drying meat increases its resistance to microorganisms, even in a very warm climate. It is proven that the ancient Egyptians as well as Native Americans, from whom the word jerky comes, also used to prepare meat in this way.

Why is it a great choice not only for outdoor enthusiasts?

Jerky has a number of benefits which you will appreciate not only when you go on a longer trip in the great outdoors, but also for example on a long trekk, hunting, field exercise or when you are looking for a simple way to consume meat without a lot of cooking. The main benefits of jerky are:

• great packability and light weight,
• highly nutritious,
• low fat,
• high content of animal protein,
• 100 % free of gluten, lactose and sugar.

This means that jerky is healthy, will give you enough energy and will also ensure the growth of muscle mass. We also recommend trying it with plain yogurt or adding it to salads.

Jerky recipe: Dry meat at home

The factory production of jerky begins by slicing the meat into large slabs 5 centimeters thick, followed by marinating and drying. Finally, the slabs are cut into squares and packed. You can also buy them in their original size.

You can also try making jerky at home. If you have a convection oven (with hot air flow function) try the following procedure.

You will need:

• 1 kilogram of meat,
• ¼ cup soy souce,
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce,
• spoon of paprika,
• 1 to 2 spoons of honey,
• 2 spoon of black pepper,
• chilli (to taste),
• 1 spoon of pressed garlic

Once you have all the ingredients ready, do the following:

• To make cutting the meat easier, put it in the freezer for 1 hour.
• Then slice it along the fibers into smaller slabs about 0.5 cm thick and about 5 cm long.
  
• Then mix all the other ingredients in a bowl, mix them well and, if necessary, sweeten with sugar, which makes the meat more juicy and tender.
• Then put the meat in the marinade and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours. During this time, stir the marinade 1 or 2 times.
  
• At this step, the meat is ready for drying. Preheat the oven to 70 ºC, line a tray with baking paper and place a grill grate on it. This will ensure that the meat is dried from below as well. Before drying, remove excess marinade from it and spread it on the grate.
  
• Dry the meat until it is dry (this lasts 4 to 8 hours).

Dried meat (jerky): Where to buy it?

If you don't want to waste time making dried meat or don't have a convection oven, you can buy it online or in brick-and-mortar stores. However, in either case, not all jerkies are created equal so you should watch out for a few things:

• quality jerky = meat, salt and spices (remember that there is beauty in simplicity and this also applies to dried meat),
  
• meat origin - it is good to know where the meat comes from,
• flavours - in stores you can find unflavored and flavored jerky of various degrees of dryness.

What kind of jerky do we have at Rigad.cz?

You can also buy jerky in our online store. We offer products of the Adventure Menu brand, which produces proper beef jerky of the highest quality. It is 100% natural, seasoned only with a pinch of salt. It contains a high portion of protein (up to 77%). One pack weighing 50 grams will give you enough energy for the whole afternoon!

Try this healthy, lightweight meal that's easy to pack and ready for you adventures today!