dried meat  Notes:   Many dried meats don't need refrigeration, so they're great for backpackers and travelers.  They're a good source of protein, but they tend to be high in sodium.   Substitutes:   dulse (a salty sea vegetable that can be eaten raw)

Varieties:

beef jerky  Notes:    These chewy strips of dried beef don't need refrigeration, so they're popular snacks for hikers and travelers.  The biggest drawbacks are that they're high in sodium, calories, and price.  Substitutes:  turkey jerky OR dulse (a salty sea vegetable that can be eaten raw)

biltong  Notes:  This South Africa's spicy version of beef jerky.  It's often made with game animals, like wildebeests and zebras.  Substitutes:  beef jerky

bresaola   Pronunciation:   brezh-OH-lah  Notes:  A specialty of Northern Italy, this air-dried beef is moist and very lean.  It's normally sliced paper thin and used much like prosciutto.   Substitutes:   bundnerfleisch (drier) prosciutto (fattier and less flavorful)

bunderfleisch = bündner fleisch   Notes:   This air-dried beef is a Swiss delicacy.  It's much more delicate that ordinary beef jerky.  Substitutes:    bresaola OR prosciutto

carne seca = tasajo    Notes:   This is a Hispanic (or in the case of tasajo, Caribbean) version of beef jerky that involves soaking strips of meat in a spicy marinade, and then drying it in the sun, in a smoker, or in an oven.   Substitutes:  beef jerky OR turkey jerky

chipped beef = dried beef   Notes:  These are thin slices of salty dried beef that are usually sold in jars.  During World War II, chipped beef was commonly served in a cream sauce on toast.  Called "shit on a shingle," it was a dish that managed to taste awful despite its high levels of fat and sodium.  Now that we enjoy a higher standard of living, chipped beef has thankfully fallen into relative obscurity.  Substitutes:   beef jerky (works well in creamed chipped beef on toast recipes)

pemmican  Notes:  This is a Native American version of beef jerky.  It consists of small cakes of meat, fat, and fruit that are dried in the sun.  Substitutes:  beef jerky

turkey jerky  Notes:   This has less fat and sodium than beef jerky.  Substitutes:  beef jerky

Copyright © 1996-2005  Lori Alden