Thai Curry Jerky Food

THAI SPICED BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Trim all visible fat from the beef and place in freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze.
• While the meat is in the freezer, combine the basil leaves, cilantro, garlic, chili garlic sauce, fish sauce, and cold water in a blender and blend well.
• Remove the meat from the freezer and slice ¼" strips with the grain. Cut against the grain for an easier chew. If sliced with the grain, tenderize with a meat mallet if you want a softer chew. Or skip the freezing phase and use a Jerky Slicer for even sliced strips.
• Add sliced beef to the mixture in a ziplock bag or bowl and marinate for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator.
• After the meat has finished marinating, remove from refrigerator and strain excess marinade.
• Pat dry the strips with paper towels and wipe off excess ingredients on the strips for a milder taste.
• Dry with your favorite jerky making method. I used my dehydrator and dried for 5 hours at 160 degrees.
• The jerky is finished when it bends and cracks, but does not break in half.

THAI STYLE RED CURRY BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Soak dried chillies and galangal in warm salted water for 15 minutes. Allow to drain.
• Seed the chilli if desired (I left seeds in place) and then chop along with galangal.
• Place all ingredients except beef in a food processor and process until a rough paste.
• Cut meat into thin slices cutting with the grain running length-wise. It's easier to cut if partially frozen, and easier to hang on the rack as below if you leave the beef in relatively long strips (say 15cm / 6").
• Rub curry paste into beef, it is thick so do this by hand. Also flatten the meat with your hands at the same time.
• Put on a plate or shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight.
• Place foil on a lower rack in the oven to catch fat / marinade.
• Put a toothpick through each end on the beef and use it to hang the meat from the top rack without the meat touching the rack.
• Cook for 6-8 hours at 70°C (160°F) with the oven door ajar until dried to desired taste.
• The door only has to been open a little to let out steam so just pry open a little with a fork or similar.

THAI CURRY JERKY

Steps:

• Trim the steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up. Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips. Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours, shifting the contents at least once to ensure the strips get evenly marinated. Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. IF USING AIR FILTERS: Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. IF USING OVEN RACKS: Place the box fan so that it is blowing air upwards, elevated at least 1 foot off the surface it is on. Place paper towels over it, and then place the first of the oven racks on the paper towels. Fill each rack with jerky strips, stacking them so there is room for airflow between the individual racks. Once finished, place another layer of paper towels over the last rack to keep dust out. Make sure they are well secured; wrapping them under the racks works well. Turn the fan to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions. Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.

THAI CURRY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the coconut milk, chicken broth and curry paste to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot, red pepper, onion, corn, chile, basil, lime leaves and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the shrimp, snap peas and half of the noodles (reserve the remaining noodles for frying). Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard the lime leaves and basil sprigs.
• Pour the canola oil into a large, wide saucepan fitted with a deep-fry thermometer. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Add the reserved noodles and fry them until crispy, about 20 seconds. Drain on paper towels.
• Ladle the curry into four bowls. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts and serve.