Portable Salty Protein

[jesse_the_k]

I need a lot of salt and protein in my diet. Several years of experimentation yields this recipe. I switch between tofu and turkey cutlets as my protein. Turkey cutlets are quarter inch slices cut from a turkey breast. They're available at my grocery in 500 g packages, sliced and ready to cook. Tofu needs to have its moisture pressed out (details after recipe)

Tools

1.5qt (1.5l) rectangular non-reactive vessel with tightly sealed lid
full-size baking sheet/roasting pan with footed oven-safe rack (mine is 15"*21")
parchment paper

Marinade

1 Tbs (15ml) maple syrup
1 Tbs (15ml) dried shallots (or onions or garlic)
1 Tbs (15ml) dried ginger
1 Tbs (15ml) salt
1 tsp (5ml) cumin powder
7oz (200ml) hot water to dissolve
5oz (150m) tamari
5oz (150m) apple juice
7oz (200ml) apple cider vinegar

let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to rehydrate dried spices and make thorough solution

Protein

turkey cutlets or pressed tofu slices

Assembly

Layer slices in marinade, making sure liquid touches all six sides of each piece, then cover tightly. Marinate in fridge for at least 24 hours. (I marinated four days by accident and it was fine.) At least once, open and rotate slices top to bottom.

Set rack in pan, lay parchment paper on rack, tucking in the ends to hold it in place

Pull one slice at a time from marinade, hold above container until it’s no longer dripping

Lay flat on rack and repeat until rack is full. Crucial to maintain free space around each slice.

Cook at 170°F/75°C for 90 minutes.

Flip all pieces and rotate pan back to front

Return to oven for 90 minutes more.

Test one slice by cutting open: is it dry? Continue cooking at 15 minute intervals until no moisture remains. When achieved, raise oven temp to 250°F/120°C and cook for 10 more minutes to kill any bacteria.

[ETA 18 March: In my oven, it's 3 hours + 10 minutes for tofu and 4.5 hours + 10 minutes for meat.]

Remove from oven and let cool. Store in tightly sealed container. Will last at least a month.

Pressing Tofu

Begin with tofu in water, not aseptic packaging.

1. Slice the tofu into chunks of equal height (I quarter the block longitudinally, ending up with four "sticks of butter" format)
2. Get at least four dish towels, two waterproof trays with a lip, and something dense and heavy, like a gallon jug of liquid or a standing knife block.
3. On tray one, lay down one dish towel full length
4. On top of this lay two dishtowels crosswise like a plus sign.
5. Place sliced tofu on the intersection, then bring up sides and fold over the top.
6. One more dish towel folded so it's just a little larger than your wrapped stack of tofu, placed on top.
7. Place your other waterproof tray on top.
8. Add your heavy.
9. Let it sit for eight hours.
10. Unwrap tofu and cut into 1/4 inch (12mm) slices. I slice across the sticks, ending up with large pats of pressed tofu.
11. Marinate as above

Notes

Cleaning the baked-on marinade from the pan and the rack is a real pain in the butt, so it's worth the cost of parchment paper.

Costs: Turkey $6.50; Tofu $2.50. Finished product loses half its weight, so in the end this doesn’t save money compared to purchasing commercial jerky. It does however make jerky that’s safe for me to eat and exactly to my taste.

Flavor variation: Eliminate shallots and cumin, replace with 1 Tbs Penzey’s garam masala; substituting water for the tamari. If you like spicy, feel free to add ancho, cayenne, or smoked paprika.

Protein variation: Pork, chicken, and beef haven’t worked because they’re not lean enough. The fat gets distastefully rancid. (probably why commercial jerky has so many preservatives). Someday I’m going to try tempeh and fish.

Comments

[mlravenwrites]

!!! I'm going to try this with tofu, it looks fucking delicious and perfect :)

Glad it intrigues

[jesse_the_k]

...let me know how it turns out.