How to make Charque and Sun Beef

Meat is a food item that spoils easily if it is not kept at temperatures close to 0 ° C. Therefore, in hot, subtropical and tropical countries, there is a strong habit of consuming fresh meat. However, in places with little infrastructure and during periods of slaughter (seasonal variations, periods of drought), all available meat cannot be consumed fresh and much of it is consequently lost. The cheapest and easiest process for preserving meat is drying with or without salt and sometimes combined with smoking.

Beef jerky

Meat

Beef jerky and sun-dried meat are traditionally made from beef, although sheep and goat meat are also suitable. Pork, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, is not suitable for the production of jerky, although it can be used in the production of sun-dried meat. Beef jerky is best produced from carcasses with a reasonable level of subcutaneous and intramuscular fat. Low levels of fat in the carcass will cause high weight loss during processing and result in a less palatable and excessively dehydrated product. Carcass fat levels are a less critical factor in making corned beef because the drying period is much shorter.

The cuts must be uniform in thickness (2 to 4 cm).

salt

The salt used in processing sun-dried meat and jerky falls into two categories. Coarse sea salt, which has not been processed and has crystals between 2 and 7 mm in size; and ground sea salt, with crystals smaller than 2 mm. Refined salt, which has been removed from all organic impurities, magnesium and calcium, is sometimes used in the manufacture of corned beef, but there is no information to suggest a better quality of the product with its use. Contamination of sea salt by facultative aerobic halophilic bacteria can lead to loss of product quality and, in some cases, product condemnation.

In the processing of jerky and sun-dried meat, a large amount of used salt is produced during salting, re-salting and overhauling operations. The cost of salt can be high and recovery may be advisable using vacuum evaporators. Salt recovered in this way is too fine for many operations, but it is excellent for reinforcing brines or for coating meat.

Water

The source of water determines the treatment required before it can be considered suitable for use in the manufacture of jerky or sun-dried meat. Polluted sources containing large amounts of organic material require complete treatment, including sedimentation (with or without flocculation), filtration and chlorination. Clean water from deep wells or mains water can be used without treatment.

Meat processing

Cuts for the production of jerky and sun-dried meat must be prepared after boning to produce pieces with uniform thickness. Cuts more than 5 cm thick are not suitable.

Dry salting

Cover the area where the meat will be with a 1 cm layer of salt. The place must be slightly inclined to spill the meat juices during salting. The pieces of meat are stacked separated from each other by layers of coarse sea salt. The salt should be poured onto the meat as a thin dip from several directions to ensure even penetration into the cuts and openings of the meat. The height and size of the pile is likely to be governed by the scale of production, but it should not exceed 1.50 meters so as not to exaggerate the pressure on the lower layers of the meat, causing excessive weight loss. Each pile, when complete, must be covered with a 2 cm salt cover.

Re-salting

The pile of meat must be inverted after 8 hours to equalize the pressure. This way, the highest pieces of meat are repositioned at the bottom. As in the initial salting step, thick layers of coarse salt are placed between each successive layer of meat and also on top of the pile. The meat remains in the second pile for a period of 16 hours before being replaced in its original order. Repeat the process. Weight loss during the dry brining phase should range between 18% for high-fat meat and 20% for lean meat.

The salt recovered during the various stages of pile inversion can be reused after appropriate treatment. During the inversion process, only coarse sea salt with a particle size smaller than 2 mm should be used.

Washing the meat

Before drying begins, the pieces of meat are subjected to a quick wash to remove excess salt adhering to the surface. A 1% solution of lactic or acetic acid can be incorporated into the wash water to lower its pH to below 5.5, thus reducing the risks of microbial development.

Drying

If weather conditions are favorable, the jerky is usually dried directly in the sun on wooden lines positioned parallel to each other with a north-south orientation. The distances between clotheslines must be sufficient to allow the movement of wheelbarrows used to transport meat from washing to the drying area.

The pieces of meat are laid out with the muscle layer up in order to limit undesirable changes in fat caused by direct exposure to sunlight. Initial drying, directly in the sun, is limited to a maximum period of 4-6 hours. This exposure period can subsequently be extended to a maximum of 8 hours. Temperatures above 40°C on the surface of the meat should be avoided.

To ensure uniform drying, the meat is exposed in the morning and removed in the afternoon. The north-south orientation allows for uniform solar coverage.

The pieces of meat are exposed to the sun every day for a period of 4 to 5 days. This is known as 4 to 5 suns.

After each exposure period, the pieces are collected, stacked and covered with a waterproof cloth or canvas to protect them from rain and wind and retain the heat absorbed by the sun.

Sun dried meat

Dry salting

The salting operation can be considered as an active and passive phase. During the initial active phase, refined or ground sea salt is rubbed into the meat by hand to ensure complete coverage and even distribution. This operation is best performed on tables covered with stainless steel or high-density plastic.

The passive salting phase is similar to that used for jerky. The pieces of meat, after being rubbed by hand, are placed with the layer of fat above on a floor covered with a thin layer of coarse sea salt. The pieces are stacked, separated from each other by 3 mm layers of salt. The pile is remade and inverted 4 to 6 hours later to allow even pressure on the dough and ensure even salt penetration. The pile is then allowed to sit with a 10 cm salt cover for an additional 4-6 hours.

Washing

A 1% solution of lactic or acetic acid can be incorporated into the wash water to lower its pH to below 5.5, thus reducing the risks of microbial development. The use of these chemical control measures is not a substitute for good plant hygiene and careful attention to the quality of the raw material.

Muscle parts should be washed quickly to remove excess surface salt and then transferred to the covered drying area for draining and drying.

Drying

As sun-dried meat has a limited shelf life and is likely to be produced year-round, regardless of the climate. It is generally subjected to drying in protected and well-ventilated areas. The pieces are laid out with the fat layer facing up for a period of 8 to 14 hours. During this time, excess meat juices should drain. The problem of insect infestation can be minimized by covering the drying area in a thin cloth.

In some regions of Brazil, semi-dried meat is covered with a thin layer of vegetable oil, such as soybean oil, before packaging, to remove salt crystals that appear on the surface of the product during the process. This is optional, but results in a significantly improved appearance.

Packaging and Transport

In markets in the north and northeast of Brazil, sun-dried meat and jerky are generally sold without packaging. Sun-dried meat is a product with a high water content, consequently drip loss will occur during distribution.

Meat presses can be used to prepare the jerky for transportation. The pressed form is more attractive and can be easily stored and carried, reducing storage space and reducing transportation costs. They are vacuum packed to further extend shelf life and protect the product against chemical changes and physical damage during distribution. The combination of pressing and packaging in air and waterproof films reduces oxidative changes in the product, improving appearance and sensory quality.