Storing

October 2nd, 2008

Although it might be the most important step in making homemade jerky, the storing process is one that is often neglected and misunderstood. The following information are excellent guidelines in helping you to properly store jerky after the cooking process to ensure a quality snack for the longest time possible.

MEAT
Before you store your jerky, always make sure that it has completely cooled. If you do not do this it will sweat and mold will set in.

The following are ways you may preserve your jerky:

* Shrink wrap – a material made up of plastic film. When heat is applied to this material it shrinks tightly over whatever it was covering.
* Skin Pack – a type of carded packaging where a product is placed on a piece of paperboard, and a thin sheet of transparent plastic is placed over the product and paperboard.
* Plastic wrap – a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh. Plastic wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxes with a cutting edge, clings to many smooth surfaces and can thus remain tight over the opening of a container with no adhesive or other device.
* Vacuum packing – a method of storing food and presenting it for sale. Appropriate types of food are stored in an airless environment, usually in an airtight pack or bottle to prevent the growth of microorganisms. The vacuum environment removes atmospheric oxygen, protecting the food from spoiling. Vacuum packaging products using plastic bags, canisters, bottles, or mason jars are available for home use.
* Vacuum pouches are used in conjunction with vacuum packaging equipment to reduce the atmosphere in a package to protect and preserve the freshness of food products, such as meat and poultry, seafood, produce and cheese. Vacuum pouches are also used to keep other non-food products (e.g. medical and pharmaceutical items) sterile and to prevent oxidation.

The benefits of vacuum packaging in vacuum pouches include:

* Increased shelf-life of food products:
* Prevention of product degradation and protection from oxidation:
* Protection against contact and contamination:
* Various types of vacuum pouches include:
* Side-seal Vacuum Pouches
* Zipper/Resealable Vacuum Pouches
* Metalized Vacuum Pouches
* Stand-up Vacuum Pouches
* (Boil-in-Bags) Vacuum Pouches
* Safe Handling Vacuum Pouches

If you know you are not going to eat your jerky for several months up to a year or plus, you will want to package it very tightly and place in the freezer.

Commercially packaged jerky can be kept 12 months out of freezer.
Home-dried jerky can be stored 1 to 2 months out of freezer.
Unsalted jerky should be refrigerated and used within two weeks.

Amirah

make your own bak kwa

Ingredients:

500g minced pork
100g or 1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
A few drops of red food colouring


Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients except for the pork in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the minced pork and marinate for at least 2 hours (or overnight if you wish).
2. Preheat the oven to 100C/210F. Grease two baking trays.
3. Spread the marinated minced pork thinly onto the baking trays, approximately 0.5cm or thinner.
4. Place the baking trays in the oven, either on the same shelf if your oven is big enough or on two different levels. Dry the mixture for 50-60 minutes with the oven door ajar. Switch the baking trays halfway through if they are on different levels.
5. When done, the mixture will be semi-dry (some liquid from the marinade may appear around the pork) and the pork will shrink slightly away from the edges of the baking trays. Remove carefully from the trays and cut into smaller squares or rectangles as you wish.Place in a sealed container and store in the fridge until required.
6. Cook the bak kwa in a toaster oven or under a medium grill/broiler, about 3-4 minutes on each side. It should sizzle and caramelise nicely; make sure the edges do not become charred

baoyun

Beef Jerky

From A-Z

Beef jerky is a type of snack food that is made by marinating beef in a curing solution and drying it. Meat treated in this way has a long shelf life and a unique flavor. Invention of this meat processing technology is attributed to Native Americans who smoke-dried meat to preserve it. Beef jerky is part of the rapidly growing meat snack market which experienced yearly sales of over $240 million in 1996. This growth has been attributed to the healthy aspects of beef jerky such as its high protein content and low fat level.

Beef jerky is a specific type of a more general kind of meat snack called jerky. Jerky is any type of meat, which has been cured with a salt solution and has had the moisture reduced to less than 50% of the total. It is typically brown colored and has a rough texture. Compared to unprocessed meat, it is tougher and has a more powerful flavor. This is primarily due to the flavor concentrating effect of the moisture removal process. Beef jerky is promoted as a nutritious, low calorie product, which is low in cholesterol and fat and high in protein and energy.

To increase the consumer acceptance of the product, there are many different flavors of beef jerky that are produced. One of the most common is the pepper flavored jerky. Other types include teriyaki jerky, hot styles, and barbecue styles. Hickory smoked and maple spice flavors are also produced. In addition to these flavors, other meats are used in jerky making. Currently, the most popular jerky meat after beef is turkey.

Get more info from http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/beef-jerky

Amirah

News article about beef product recall

Nebraska Beef settles lawsuit with Colorado company over 2008 beef recall; terms still not disclosed.

OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska Beef Ltd. has reached a settlement with a Colorado company over liability for a 2008 beef recall, according to an order filed late Friday in the federal case.

The Omaha-based processor sued Loveland, Colo.-based Meyer Natural Foods LLC in January 2009, raising the question of which company should be held liable for the tainted meat. A trial had been set for next month.

Nebraska Beef recalled nearly 7 million pounds of beef in two separate recalls after its products were linked to at least 76 cases of E. coli illnesses. At least some of the recalled meat came from cattle that Meyer bought and sent to Nebraska Beef's plant for processing from May through July 2008.

The judge's order filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Omaha said attorneys for both companies notified the court the dispute was settled. Terms have not been disclosed, and the judge ordered both sides to file a motion to dismiss the case by April 25.

Messages left Saturday for attorneys in the case were not immediately returned.

Nebraska Beef's lawsuit said legal claims related to the recalled beef had made against Meyer, which wanted Nebraska Beef to indemnify it against any liability for the tainted meat. But Nebraska Beef denies the contamination originated at its processing plant and says it did not breach the terms of its contract with Meyer. So, Nebraska Beef wanted the court to declare that it's not obligated to indemnify Meyer.

Most of the meat Nebraska Beef recalled in 2008 was shipped to companies that planned to further process the meat. That makes it difficult to determine exactly where the meat became contaminated with E. coli bacteria.

At least four lawsuits were filed against Nebraska Beef after the recalls, including three in Georgia and one in Ohio.

-Timberly Ross Associated Press

Amirah

Controlling Grill Temperatures with Kingsford and Chris Lilly

Karen.T

History of Bak Kwa !

Bak kwa is thought to have derived from a meat preservation and preparation technique used in ancient China. It is also considered a Hokkien delicacy, as it originated from the Fujian province in China, where poverty meant that the consumption of meat was a luxury usually reserved for Chinese New Year. Leftover meat would be preserved by slicing the meat into thin sheets and marinating them with sugar and spices, before air-drying the slices and cooking them over a hot plate. When immigrants brought this delicacy over to Singapore and Malaysia, it took on local characteristics. For example, while the meat is still air-dried, it is instead grilled over charcoal, which imparts a smokier flavour. The local version is also sweeter than its original counterpart.

The first and oldest bak kwa shop in Singapore is Kim Hock Guan, which was set up in 1905 with the first outlet in Rochor Road. Other major players in the local bak kwa business include Bee Cheng Hiang, Lim Chee Guan, Fragrance Foodstuff and Kim Joo Guan.

From: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1746_2010-12-30.html

Karen.T

Indicators to cooked bbq food !

- Colour alone is not a reliable indicator that meat is safe to eat. Meat can turn brown before all bacteria are killed, so use a digital food thermometer to be sure.

- To check the temperature of meat that you are cooking on the barbecue, take the meat off the grill and insert the digital food thermometer through the thickest part of the meat.

- If you are cooking a beef hamburger, take the patty from the grill and insert the digital food thermometer through the side, all the way to the middle of the patty.

- If you're cooking more than one patty or pieces of meat, be sure to check the temperature of each of the pieces.

- Use clean utensils and plates when removing cooked meats from the grill.

- Remember to wash the thermometer in hot, soapy water between temperature readings.

- Always remember to keep hot food hot until you are ready to serve.


Safe Internal Temperature of Food
Beef, veal and lamb (pieces and whole cuts)

Medium-rare 63°C (145°F)
Medium 71°C (160°F)
Well done 77°C (170°F)

Pork (pieces and whole cuts) 71°C (160°F)

Poultry (e.g. chicken, turkey, duck)

Pieces 74°C (165°F)
Whole 85°C (185°F)

Ground meat and meat mixtures (e.g. burgers, sausages, meatballs, meatloaf, casseroles)

Beef, veal, lamb and pork 71°C (160°F)
Poultry 74°C (165°F)

Egg dishes 74°C (165°F)

Others (e.g. hot dogs, stuffing, leftovers) 74°C (165°F)


From: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Health-Canada-Barbecue-Food-Safety-Tips-1264167.htm

Karen.T

BBQ safety tips !

1. Wash hands and surfaces often. Use warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food and wash you’re cutting boards after each food item is prepared

2.Don't cross-contaminate, always keep raw and cooked food separate. Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

3.Refrigerate promptly but do not cover (e.g. with stretch wrap) if the food is still hot

4.Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours or sooner.


From: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/How_To_Ensure_Barbecue_Food_Safety.html

Karen.T

Mad Cow USA Update:John Stauber

For more information.
Cited from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Ysi6EjJRk

Kong Carol

Bamboo trays and BSE

A picture bamboo trays. It would be recommended to use other materials rather than bamboo as it is likely to to be porous like wood. Other recommendation would include stainless steel trays for production of our product (BBQ BEEF).

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MAD COW DISEASE (BSE : bovine spongiform encephalopathy)

BSE ("Mad Cow Disease") and nvCJD

Both disorders (BSE & nvCJD) are lethal brain diseases caused by a prion –It’s a protein particle that does not have nucleic acid. Due to this lacking it is held to be the reason of different infectious diseases that affect the nervous system.

Reason of outbreak of BSE

By September 1997, more than 168,000 cases of BSE had been confirmed in Great Britain. It may due to the feeding of scraps that contain sheep meat-and-bone meals to cattle. The increase in the scale of this BSE outbreak might be due to the practice of feeding young calves with bovine meat-and-bone meals.

Surveillance of BSE cases

Public health control measures have been implemented in each country of Europe to prevent potentially BSE-infected tissues from entering the human food chain. These preventative measures appear to have been effective as according to the US Department of Agriculture, no cases of BSE has not been detected in the United for some years now.

Cited from : http://www.health.uab.edu/15230/

Kong Carol

A Brief History Of Barbecue

Barbecue is cooking over indirect heat , which is usually a wood fire, for a really long time (sometimes for as many as 18 hours). The resulting flavor is a combination of smoke, meat juices, fat and whatever spices or rub have been added.

No one is really sure where the term barbecue originated. The conventional wisdom is that the Spanish, upon landing in the Caribbean, used the word barbacoa to refer to the natives' method of slow-cooking meat over a wooden platform. By the 19th century, the culinary technique was well established in the American South, and because pigs were prevalent in the region, pork became the primary meat at barbecues. Corn bread emerged as the side dish of choice, owing largely to the fact that in humid Southern climates, corn grew better than wheat (which was prone to fungal infections). Barbecue allowed an abundance of food to be cooked at once and quickly became the go-to menu item for large gatherings like church festivals and neighborhood picnics.

Barbecue varies by region, with the four main styles named after their place of origin: Memphis, Tenn.; North Carolina; Kansas City; and Texas. Memphis is renowned for pulled pork-shoulder doused in sweet tomato-based sauce (eaten on its own or as a sandwich). North Carolina smokes the whole hog in a vinegar-based sauce. Kansas City natives prefers ribs cooked in a dry rub, and Texans ... well, Texans dig beef. Eastern Texas' relative proximity to Tennessee puts it in the pulled-pork camp, but in the western segment of the Lone Star State, you're likely to find mesquite-grilled "cowboy-style" brisket. Locals defend their region's cooking style with the sort of fierce loyalty usually reserved for die-hard sports fans. Just as you're better off not mentioning the Yankees to a Red Sox fan, it's probably best not to proclaim your love for Texas beef to anyone from Tennessee.

Because barbecue doesn't require expensive cuts of meat, it became a dietary staple for impoverished Southern blacks, who frequently paired it with vegetables like fried okra and sweet potatoes. The first half of the 20th century saw a mass migration of African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities, and as they moved, they took their recipes with them. By the 1950s, black-owned barbecue joints had sprouted in nearly every city in America. Along with fried chicken, corn bread and hush puppies, barbecue came to be known as a "soul food" dish. To this day, there is a strong connection between the cuisine and the African-American community.
Other countries barbecue in their own style. Korean barbecue features thin slices of beef or pork cooked and served with rice. Argentina has asado, or marinade-free meat cooked in a smokeless pit. And of course, there's Mongolian barbecue, which is neither barbecue nor of Mongolian origin but rather a type of stir-fry recently invented in Taiwan. But true barbecue is distinctly American. So this Fourth of July, when the parades have ended and the sun starts to go down, throw some meat on the grill and cook yourself a true American classic. Patriotism never tasted so delicious.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1908513,00.html

yukun

Food Safety

Food safety is the inspection of foods to prevent disease and illness on human beings upon consumption. Food safety can be monitored anytime from delivery of raw materials to processing, packaging, storage and the handling of both the raw and cooked food. Food safety could also check on foreign materials that are in food products that may cause harm to human consumption or presence of micro-organisms or pathogens that may cause humans to be ill upon consumption. It also inspects that food preservatives, addictives, colourings etc are within limit or it would cause harm to human health. Food safety inspection may happen during food processing and production itself.

http://www.ava.gov.sg/FoodSector/FoodSafetyEducation/

http://www.who.int/foodsafety/en/

http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/default.htm


Chun Hui

Mad Cow Disease (MCD)

Medical name for MCD = bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE)

Symptoms of MCD on cow

an incurable, fatal brain disease that affects cattle and some other animals, such as goats.

It affects a cow's nervous system, causing a cow to act strangely and lose control of its ability to do normal things, such as walk.

Symptom of MCD on human

people who eat beef from cows that have BSE are at risk of developing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) which is a rare brain condition that affects people.

When people have vCJD, cells in the brain die until the brain eventually has a "sponge-like" appearance. During this time, people with the disease lose control of their mental and physical capabilities.

Statistics of MCD

By October 2009, 217 cases reported worldwide. Mostly in Britain.

How it spread and prevention

The disease will not spread from person to person unless eaten contaminated meat.

The type of protein that causes MCD cannot be removed or destroyed when beef is processed or cooked. to prevent: remove the parts of the cow that are at highest risk of containing BSE causing proteins such as the brain and spinal cord to reduce the chances of them contaminating the meat people eat.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/bacterial_viral/mad_cow_disease.html

Baoyun

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Overview

This blog would include research information on the BBQ Beef (aka Beef Bagua). Research information can vary from the safety issues in BBQ Beef (ingredients/ processing), in terms of physical, chemical or microbiological, the history or even other interesting facts regarding BBQ Beef. Of course, Mad Cow Disease would also be covered.Through these research information that will be posted by all of us, it would be applied in our Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) templates as well as assist us in solving the food safety issue in BBQ Beef (such as Mad Cow Disease).

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