Expert: Keith Patton - 11/14/2008

Question
How can you make turkey jerky out of the dark meat only?

Answer
Rose:

Turkey jerky is tricky and the stuff you by is not really jerky.  It is cooked turkey that has been dried out and all sorts of preservatives added.  The fact you have to refrigerate it should tell you that.  Real jerked meat will keep for months at room temperature.

I have jerky that is over a year old and is simply stored in an air tight container at room temperature.  The idea is that the salt, sugar and spices retard bacterial growth.  So if it needs to be kept refrigerated, it ain't jerky.

Now having said that, you can understand why it has to be cooked unlike beef, that can be jerked at a low temp to dry it but never really "cooks" it.  Processed poultry is rife with salmonella because of the plant processing environment...nasty.  I know I worked in a poultry plant in high school.

Anyway,I would suggest you first pound the thighs with a met mallet until they are about 1/4 inch think.  Then you can marinate them in a slurry or liquid marinade.  It must contain salt and sugar at the very least.  If you have a favorite commercial seasoning like Tony Chachere's cajun or something like that you can use it mixed with a little beer or tomato paste and some soy sauce and brown sugar.  Remember that whatever marinade you use it must be pretty strong, because you are trying to infuse the meat with enough salt and sugar to preserve it.  Water from the meat will dilute the marinade as a membrane reaction takes place where marinade is drawn into the meat and water out of the meat as nature tries to equalize the inequal solution concentrations.

After about 2-3 days of marinading put on a rack on a foil lined cookie sheet in the oven.  Cook at 200 degrees until done.  Now comes the jerking.  Turn the heat down and continue to dry the meat with the oven door propped open with a metal cooking spoon.  Continue to dry the meat until it reaches the green stick stage.  That is when you bend it, it does not snap like a dry twig, but it breaks but holds together like a green stick would.  You shold have to bend and pull to get it to break.  Now cool the meat to let any excess moisture evaporate as it cools, then put in an airtight container, a plastic coffee can or ziplock is good.

If the meat is dry and well preserved it should keep without molding at room temperature. If it isn't it will mold and spoil.

The key is the strong marinade, don't use commercial marinades, you have to make your own since the commercial varieties are not salty enough.  Don't fret, the meat won't be nearly as salty as the marinade.  The soy sauce provides most of the salt you need. Soy and sugar and a few other spices will give the meat a teriyake flavor.

Keith