Paleo Jerky Seasonings

Some good spices for jerky include: cumin, ground chipolte, garlic powder, marjoram, chili powder, you can even use a good quality taco or fajita seasoning mix (such as Spice Hunter brand, no MSG). I like to coat only one side of the meat with seasoning otherwise the flavors are too overpowering. I always vary spices when I make jerky; I haven't found an exact formula that I love, in fact I have found that I actually prefer it plain or with just a little cracked pepper.

For the ginger, I'd marinate the meat with slices of ginger before drying. Or you could rub ginger juice into the meat. There are special Japanese grates made of ceramic which are used for grating ginger. Just squeeze the grated ginger to extract the juice. FYI: You can peel fresh ginger safely and effectively using a teaspoon! If your ginger doesn't peel easily with a teaspoon, it's not fresh.

By Stacie Tolen. Posted to the PaleoRecipe Mailing List, March 2001