Dehydrating in a convection oven

[Mezzaluna]

Can any of you tell me the procedure for dehydrating meats, veggies, etc. in a gas convection oven? I'd like to make my own jerky and dried veggies, but I don't want to purchase another piece of equipment. I have a Viking 36" gas model. The temperature can be set as low as 175 F. Thanks!

(I have a sneaking suspicion I've asked this question before, but a thorough search of this site turned up nothing. So please forgive me if you've already answered this question! )

[Chef David Simpson]

Hi Mezz, You can rest asure that you can do it in that fine piece of equipment.
Take your rack out and clean it real good. Then get your strips of sirloin and thread the spokes of your rack. put the oven at 350* and then put the rack back in your oven and turn it off. Leave over night with just the pilot light on. Same with vegges. put a pan under for the drippings. and your all set.

[Mezzaluna]

Sounds good, but is the temperature high enough to avoid food poisoning? Also, my stove has electronic ignition, not a pilot light. Would the 175 degree setting work? You didn't mention using the convection fan- should I? Thanks for the additional help.

Mezz:

I used to work for Hi-Country Beef Jerky in Lincoln MT. They used to cook their jerky at 165 degrees for about 8 hrs. I think. However this was in smokers. So, I think your oven at 175 should work just fine. You will have to experiment with the timing. Our basic recipe called for black pepper, garlic, and salt. It also called for sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite is used in cured foods to prevent botulism. There is no known substitute for it. If you do make jerky without using sodium nitrite, I would suggest keeping it refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to eat it.

If you don't get it dry enough and leave it unrefrigerated, you might get some mold and/or bacteria growth. Actually, it is not the total moisture that allows for mold and bacteria growth, but active water (AW) content. In other words, one product can have a higher total moisture content than another and not have mold and bacteria growth whereas the other can, even if it has a lower moisture content. Active water is the moisture that isn't tied up and can migrate which allows for the mold and bacteria growth. If you tie up the water it cannot. Two things that can tie up more water is salt and sugar. Another thing to keep in mind is that, ceteris paribus, the higher the fat content, the lower the moisture content has to be for the same active water. This is because fat cannot hold any moisture.

As far as smoke flavor, you might try using a smoker, grill with wood chips, or even a stove top smoker to apply smoke prior to engaging in the drying process. Just be sure you don't overcook the meat when you are apply the smoke. If you decide to try some liquid smoke to add smoke flavor, be very, very careful. It is very easy to overdo the smoke flavor with liquid smoke and it is not nearly as good as real smoke, IMHO.

I would suggest you go to
http://www.hicountry.com

check out their spices for jerky which also includes directions right on the web site. There are some good tips there. Personally, I highly recommend using the sodium nitrite (what they call the cure).

Hope this helps.