beef jerky as a staple??

[chicmuscle]

i like beef jerky. i havent had it in months though. the great thing about it is it takes forever to eat and i dont have to cook it.

i was wondering if beef jerky a good idea to have daily, or is raw beef cooked better? or is it okay to have it daily?

to me it would be a good idea to have a fast lunch of beef jerky, raw veggies, and water. a big bag of beef jerky is resonably priced at walmart. the jumbo bag is even better.

chichy

[chelsea]

Chichy,
I tried that for awhile but I got tired of all the chewing. I tried it because it was a good source of protein to snack on while in the car but remember it has a lot of sodium. I dont think I would count it as a meal but maybe a snack. Chelsea

[rubberduckyo]

I'm with chelsea on the sodium thing but it's great for a quick snack on the run. Too much salt to be a staple imo.

[chicmuscle]

chelsea and ducky,
damn soduim,,, now what if i got a dehydrator and made my own beef jerky? then could it be a staple then. i can control the sodium, the cut of meat and marinating sause.

chichy

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by chicmuscle
chelsea and ducky,
damn soduim,,, now what if i got a dehydrator and made my own beef jerky? then could it be a staple then. i can control the sodium, the cut of meat and marinating sause.

chichy

Yes. I have a dehydrator and have made jerky many times. Be carefull with the liquid smoke (high sodium). You've gotta get a little creative to make it come out tastey, Chic. Most of the traditional "jerky seasonings" out the are high in sodium. Even wostershire is gonna put you outta the ballpark. On the plus side, even using these marinades it's not gonna be nearly as high as the store bought sodium content. That stuff is sooooo over processed it's not funny and they add tons of preservatives.

So I guess I'm saying even with the traditonal "jerky marinades" you'd still be better off than store bought.

If that made any sense. I know how serious you are about your diet though so wanted to warn you.

[chicmuscle]

thanks ducky,
what marinades have you conjured that was kinda low in sodium?

chichy

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by chicmuscle
thanks ducky,
what marinades have you conjured that was kinda low in sodium?

chichy

Depends on what you're doing. Usually I'll do some hickory bbq sauce and vinegar. Odd, I know, but it comes out great.

If you're worried about sugars, I'm assuming you are, use a dry rub. Mix your favorite spices, and rub it on to each slice. It's gotta sit longer this way to give the best flavor. Still add some vinegar to help break down the meat. If you don't you'll end up with shoe leather. Ick.

[chicmuscle]

hickory bbq sauce and vinegar doesnt sound odd. the sugar that im most worried about is high fructose corn syrup. i dont want to consume that ever, not even post workout. so, a bunch of my favorite spices + vinagar, let sit for a long while and dehydrate. sounds excellent. im thinking 1/8th inch thick slabs of beef.

im not too particular on seasoning meat. ive got used to eating it bland. so any idea is a great contribution in my book. im serious too. as of late, i boil my chicken breats in water, chop it up once done and eat it. you be surprised, it has a great favor when "bland".

chichy

[chelsea]

Ive never boiled my chicken breast. Do they come out pretty moist or kind of dry?

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by chelsea
Ive never boiled my chicken breast. Do they come out pretty moist or kind of dry?

Ick! They come out moist if you don't over do it but NO flavor. Blech!

My best advice if you're trying to have easy food ready to go is to marinate the chicken overnight in Wishbone Italian dressing. Then bake the chicken is a dish, let cool and store in a ziploc baggy. Chicken stays nice and moist and has a good little zip to it.

Another good one is baking it covered in salsa. Yum! There is a salsa chicken recipe I posted in the recipe section. The chicken comes out so tender! I think the acidity in the salsa is what does it.

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by chicmuscle
im not too particular on seasoning meat. ive got used to eating it bland. so any idea is a great contribution in my book. im serious too. as of late, i boil my chicken breats in water, chop it up once done and eat it. you be surprised, it has a great favor when "bland".

chichy

I refuse to eat bland and/or boring food for the sake of diet. If I'm gonna eat something I want to enjoy it. There are so many ways to impart good flavor without wrecking your diet. I enjoy cooking AND eating (obviously) so I take the time to make the most of it.

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by chicmuscle
sounds excellent. im thinking 1/8th inch thick slabs of beef.

It's easier to slice if you partially freeze the meat first. Or, if you have an accomodating butcher, pick up a london broil and tell him you are making jerky and can he slice it for you. I always slice across the grain. Most people go WITH the grain and make some chewy, stringy jerky. Across the grain is more enjoyable to eat imo.

[Frosty]

I would be concerned with wearing of the teeth if you eat it every day for a long time. The Inuit used to eat a lot of dried foods, and their teeth would get very badly worn.

That and I would assume that jerky is more difficult to digest since it's dry.

[chicmuscle]

Originally posted by chelsea
Ive never boiled my chicken breast. Do they come out pretty moist or kind of dry?

very moist. better than baking. every time i bake a chicken it sticks to the pyrex dish and is dry

chichy

[chicmuscle]

rducky,

im trying those 2 recipes. to me its not bland or boring. its natural flav is pretty good. now thats weird!!! to enjoy "bland", but how can i call it that when i enjoy it. also, when it comes to cooking, i dont ever recall actually whipping up a full course entree,,,, myself. usually im helping the person perpare an entree that they have already thought of, have the ingredients to, and have knowledge in cooking. ill just go over there and chop the onions,,,okay!! i dont know the names of the many techniques to cooking, but there is one that i dont like,,,, sautee-ing. thats just heavily overcooking a veggie in oil.

chichy

[chicmuscle]

Originally posted by Frosty
I would be concerned with wearing of the teeth if you eat it every day for a long time. The Inuit used to eat a lot of dried foods, and their teeth would get very badly worn.

That and I would assume that jerky is more difficult to digest since it's dry.

hmmm,, im unaware that teeth can wear out on jerky. are Inuit the type of peopl who live in alska right? is that place accomidating to dental precedures?

well when i start going through a bulking cycle its a gaurantee that im going to get sick of something. i posted a while back that im dead sick of tuna. i dont want to see it, dont want to smell it, and i damn sure refuse to eat it. but on the other hand, me and chx are best friends. i can get down with beef,,,, beef jerky style. salmon is good, but it tastes like bacon to me, and thats not pleasant.

chichy

[chicmuscle]

Originally posted by rubberduckyo
It's easier to slice if you partially freeze the meat first. Or, if you have an accomodating butcher, pick up a london broil and tell him you are making jerky and can he slice it for you. I always slice across the grain. Most people go WITH the grain and make some chewy, stringy jerky. Across the grain is more enjoyable to eat imo.

i was just going to have the butcher do it. its faster and more accuratly cut with that meat slicing machine. also, there is a magnetic strip within my left hand, so every time the right hand has a sharp knife in it, and the resistance of the cut is high, the left hand attracts the blade and everything is covered in burgandy/red, and thats not the beef juice.

chichy

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by chicmuscle
sautee-ing. thats just heavily overcooking a veggie in oil.

chichy

Not true. Sauteing is basically cooking in a pan stirring often over medium heat until the veggie gets soft. The addition of oil is a person's own preferences I just use a little Pam, salt and pepper. Gotta stir often to keep the veggies from sticking though. They release their own juices (because of the salt) and the naturally occuring sugars carmelize a bit giving them a sweetness. Sauteed mushrooms and garlic is one of my favorites. Virtually zero kcals to it but oh soooooo good.

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by Frosty
I would be concerned with wearing of the teeth if you eat it every day for a long time. The Inuit used to eat a lot of dried foods, and their teeth would get very badly worn.

That and I would assume that jerky is more difficult to digest since it's dry.

The Inuit also don't have running water, dental care or tooth brushes for that matter.

I very much doubt their bad teeth are due to eating dried meats.

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by chicmuscle
hmmm,, im unaware that teeth can wear out on jerky. are Inuit the type of peopl who live in alska right? is that place accomidating to dental precedures?

The Inuit also chew rawhide to make leather. It has nothing to do with eating dried meat.

[Frosty]

Originally posted by rubberduckyo
The Inuit also chew rawhide to make leather. It has nothing to do with eating dried meat.

Does everyone chew the leather?

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by Frosty
Does everyone chew the leather?

I know I don't. Do you?

[Frosty]

Nevermind...I just did some reading. Yes, women will chew the leather, but everyone used their teeth as tools. Men would carry heavy things with their teeth, cutting things, etc.

They did eat large amounts of dried and smoked salmon. I'm not aware of any other culture that eats large amounts of dried meat, though.

So while it may contribute to tooth wear, I can't say for sure.

Either way, I'd be interested in how well jerky is digested vs. a steak.

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by Frosty
Either way, I'd be interested in how well jerky is digested vs. a steak.

Hmmm....I'd think it'd digest about the same. Any delay may be because it's dehydrated.

I don't know of any studies on this though. I'm thinking if water intake is where it should be and we're not talking about store bought over processed stuff she should be okay.

However. I stand by my statement that jerky is a great quick fix and should not be a staple. Fresh cooked meat as far as I'm concerned is the way to go.

[rubberduckyo]

Originally posted by Frosty
They did eat large amounts of dried and smoked salmon.

Salmon lox rock!