Trim the Fat? Or Chew it?
A lot of guides will tell you its important to trim off all of the fat from the meat you buy. But when you eat a steak, isn't is the marbling that draws you to a good steak? A lot of flavor is held in that fatty tissue, so its important to trim the meat the way you want it. Don't be afraid to leave some on, or lots on, the more you leave the fattier your jerky will obviously be, but when done right this can give the meat a great taste and a good chew.
Sam and I tend to leave lots of the fat in because we like a softer chewy jerky, although we started off trimming it all out. Don't be afraid to experiment with different pieces on your first batch, so you can see the results right away!
Soft Jerky, or Tough Jerky?
Jerky eaters know, when you buy commercial jerky, you pay a lot, and its never consistent. Sometimes the jerky will be soft and chewy, and other times its tough and tears. A great advantage to making your own jerky is being able to control this factor, and make jerky exactly the way you want. To control this factor simply add or reduce your cooking/drying time as needed. If you refrigerate your jerky it will also remain softer longer, so if you prefer dry crispy jerky be sure to leave it in a warm dryer spot once its done.
Avoiding bugs
Anytime you are working with raw meats, there is always a risk of contamination. When making jerky use your common sense, and always stick to your standard food safety rules. Remember, when you are cooking/drying the jerky in your jerky machine, it will come out cooked, but also more resistant to bugs. This is why you can make a large amount of jerky at home, and it will remain safe to eat for a lot longer than a steak would. By removing the moisture from the meat, it lowers the chance that bugs will move in, similar to how pasta can remain unrefrigerated before its cooked.
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