How Does Flavored Jerky Get Its Flavor?

If you are a jerky connoisseur, you may ask yourself, “How does flavored jerky get its flavor?” It’s a fair question. Most people have no idea where jerky comes from until it lands in their hands. But the work that goes into creating jerky is fascinating, if only because it gives one a greater appreciation for a snack they have enjoyed their whole lives.

Preparing the Meat

To understand how jerky gets its flavor, we must first explore how jerky makers prepare the meat. When making jerky out of ground beef or whole muscle, someone must remove the bones or connective tissue. Then there are three methods for defatting:

• The meat goes into a large centrifuge where fat particles separate from the meat.
• Machines squeeze the meat to remove fat.
• Machines filter the fat out of the meat.

Workers inspect the meat for unwanted materials before adding the flavor.

Dipped Curing

Curing is the next step in our exploration of how flavored jerky gets its flavor, and it’s the process by which food-makers add flavor to jerky.

A common way to accomplish this is to prepare a large tank with salt, seasoning, and whatever else someone might want to mix in. Then, the meat goes into the curing solution. It must stay in for long enough that the liquid can entirely penetrate the meat but not so long that it creates meat contamination.

Injected Curing

Another way to cure jerky would be to inject the curing solution into the meat using a needle. Then, the meat goes into a large tumbling device that contains more of the curing mixture. This method tenderizes the meat and allows the solution to penetrate it completely.

The flavoring behind our favorite jerky snacks comes from a very scientific place. Food scientists know exactly how to cure food to maximize its delicious qualities. If you’re looking for some delicious poultry jerky, take a look at the selection at Lee’s Market Jerky.