Jerky has come a long way from the sugar-loaded gas station variety you’d grab if you were feeling peckish and in a pinch on the road.
As people wise up to the impressive health benefits of additive-free dried muscle and organ meat, artisanal jerky continues to grow in popularity.
Out of all of the artisanal dried meats, beef liver jerky has the most impressive nutrient profile. This nutrient-dense treat is delicious and convenient too.
Have I tempted you to try beef liver jerky for the first time?
Do you want to learn more about the health benefits of eating liver jerky regularly?
Well then, stick around. This article covers the A-Z of beef liver jerky and gives tips for making your own at home.
Is beef liver good or bad for you?
The short answer is yes, beef liver is good for you.
The problem is that not a lot of people realize just how beneficial beef liver to your health. And then there’s the issue some people have with eating organ meat, in general. This is a relatively decent development, as humans have been eating (and coveting) organ meat for centuries.
Why?
Because it’s the most nutrient-dense food on the planet.
Eating beef liver daily can provide several health benefits, including:
- boosting your daily energy,
- accelerating muscle growth,
- quelling your digestion issues,
- revitalizing your skin, and
- improving your mental health.
100g of beef liver contains more than 100% of the recommended daily dose of several micronutrients, plus it’s a fantastic source of protein.
With its impressive RDAs, eating beef liver as part of the carnivore diet will ensure you’re getting the optimal amounts of vital nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.
I’ll admit liver can be messy and time-consuming for some people to prep and cook. That’s where jerky steps in.
How does liver jerky do it? Check out its impressive nutrient profile:
Are there toxins in beef liver?
There’s a common misconception eating liver can potentially expose you to toxins.
This is false.
The animal liver doesn’t store toxins. The liver processes toxins and makes them safe or turns them into something else so they can be safely removed from the animal.
There are no toxins and liver, and it most definitely shouldn’t be avoided for this reason.
The grass-fed debate
It’s essential to understand the difference between grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef. It’s not as simple as saying one is better than the other, though.
Research finds grass-fed beef contains higher beta carotene levels, vitamin E, vitamin K2 and vitamin C compared with grain-fed beef. However, the amounts of these vitamins in both types of meat don’t come close to the vitamin amounts found in other animal proteins.
Liver has nearly 275 times more Vitamin A than steak. Grass-fed animal fats like suet and tallow are excellent vitamin E sources, while liver, butter, and ghee provide decent amounts of vitamin K2.
Grass-fed beef fat has a higher nutrient concentration, but grain-fed beef tends to have a higher amount of fat. Since fat stores many of these vital nutrients, this could even things out.
Grass-fed organs like liver and fats have more nutrients, and for that reason, you may feel inclined to spend a little extra money on the grass-fed stuff.
Recipe for making beef liver jerky at home
Here’s a simple recipe for making beef liver jerky at home. If you’ve got a food dehydrator, great. A traditional oven will work just as well too.
Ingredients:
- A pound of grass-fed beef liver
- Sea salt
- Parchment paper
Instructions:
- Thinly slice liver into even pieces
- Put your food dehydrator setting to “meat”
- Place pieces evenly apart inside your food dehydrator
- Dehydrate for 4 hours
- Flip each piece once the tops are dry and firm
- Dehydrate for another 4 hours till you get a crispy texture
- Sprinkle sea salt on top of each piece
If using an oven:
- Set your oven to the lowest temperature setting
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet
- Place liver pieces evenly apart on top of the parchment paper
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour
- Flip each piece once the tops are dry and firm
- Bake for another hour till you get a crispy texture and pieces are completely dry
- Sprinkle sea salt on top of each piece
Strapped for time? Try our beef liver crisps
If you like the sound of beef liver jerky and I’ve won you over on the health benefits, but you’re not quite ready to make it yourself, why not give your beef liver crisps a try?
What makes them taste so good?
- we marinate and brine our beef liver for 24 hours
- we slice our liver razor-thin, and
- we cook it to perfection to retain nutrients while providing a perfect crunch.
We use only two ingredients: grass-fed beef liver and sea salt. No additives. No seasoning. No spices. No bullsh*t. That’s it
.