Nesco All-in-One Food Dehydrator Kit, Model# FD50-WHC

Everything needed to dry fruit, vegetables, jerky and more. 500 Watts power plus patented coverage flow for even drying. No more rotating trays. U.S.A.

If you want to make a name for yourself as the local neighborhood grill master, you need to have the right tools and accessories. These grilling tools are a must have for backyard chefs everywhere:

You'll need a nice set of utensils that are well suited for grilling. That means they shouldn't be made of material that will get hot in your hands. They should be big enough that you can reach the back of the grill with them safely, but no bigger. Many bbq tools are made so big that they become difficult to handle. Many a time I've seen a newbie griller use extra long tongs to grab something off the grill only to lose control and drop it on the ground. What a waste!

Another note about barbeque utensil sets: they usually come with a giant fork. Take the fork and throw it right in the garbage. No self-respecting grill master uses a fork to poke his meat. It lets all the delicious juices pour out!

Now what other grilling tools do we need? Well, you need to keep your grill clean so that means you'll need a wire brush. You can get these for as little as $5.99 but I recommend going with the $14.99 models. The cheaper ones fall apart and leave little pieces of their wire all over your grill (and in your food if you're not careful). Better to spend the extra couple bucks and avoid the aggravation.

Now let's think about safety. You're going to be working over an open fire so you want to be as careful as possible. The grill will be piping hot and so will dishes, utensils, etc. At the least you should have some sturdy oven mitts handy. But what I recommend is getting a pair of "Ove Gloves". You can get them for around $12 to $15 and they're so worth it. They're comfortable to wear and can resist temperatures up to 480 degrees! Grab yourself a pair and you'll be glad you did.

There's just one more grilling tool you need to add to your arsenal: a small spray bottle. No matter how careful you are you're bound to have a flame up from time to time. You'll need to act fast or your whole meal will go up in smoke. If you keep a small spray bottle filled with water handy you can quickly spray down flames before they get out of control.

These are the grilling tools that will make your barbeque experience a joy. You can pick up more grilling tips and some delicious recipes at http://how-to-barbeque.com

dehydrator

Nesco FD-80 American Harvest Square-Shaped Dehydrator

Easy-to-use dehydrator for drying fruit, vegetables, herbs and jerky. Lay out jerky strips with ease. Includes spices and cure packets.

Beef jerky is known to be the go-to product for people who need to bring along food, but lack refrigeration -- hikers, campers and hunters to name a few. With a food that seems to last forever and does not need to be refrigerated, it seems as if there is no such thing as beef jerky risks. However, as with any food preparation, there are some risks associated with the making of beef jerky.

See, when you really think about it, beef jerky is never cooked. That said, what then makes the meat safe to eat? Drying meat actually dates back thousands of years as a way to preserve portions of meat like buffalo and cattle that could not otherwise be saved. Think about it -- refrigeration just came into play this century, really. The principle behind the safe preservation of meat through drying is that the moisture is removed, meaning there is no longer a way for enzymes containing bacteria or fungus to react with the food. There are very few beef jerky risks when it comes to commercially-made beef jerky. This is because the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set guidelines for beef jerky makers to follow, and like any manufacturer, they are monitored. But, when making at home beef jerky risks are more plausible. The reason for this is that the meat may not get to the right temperature before it is dried, which can cause some bacteria to be left behind. Meat should be heated to 160 F and poultry to 165 F before the dehydration process. Then follow the recipe instructions, which usually keep a dehydrator at 130-140 F. If the meat is not heated to par before the drying process starts, whether it is in a dehydrator or oven, the bacteria will become heat resistant. If bacteria are left behind on meat, salmonella and E. coli or other food born illnesses can infect those who eat the jerky.

Here are some tips directly from the USDA to reduce beef jerky risks when making at home:

Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after working with meat products.

Use clean equipment and utensils.

Keep meat and poultry refrigerated at 40 F or slightly below. Use or freeze ground beef and poultry within 2 days; whole red meats, within 3 to 5 days.

Defrost frozen meat in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter.

Marinate meat in the refrigerator. Don't save marinade to reuse. Marinades are used to tenderize and flavor the jerky before dehydrating it.

Steam or roast meat to 160 F and poultry to 165 F as measured with a food thermometer before dehydrating it.

Dry meats in a food dehydrator that has an adjustable temperature dial and will maintain a temperature of at least 130 to 140 F throughout the drying process.

For ground beef jerky prepared at home, safety concerns related to E. coli are minimized if the meat is precooked to 160 F prior to drying.

Homemade jerky can only be stored for one to two months, while commercially produced jerky can last a year.

Another beef jerky risk is the sodium content. Beef jerky is a good snack for those who want to eliminate carbs from their diet, and also some jerky is low in fat. However, most jerky is extremely high in sodium. A 30 g serving of beef jerky could contain more than 515 mg of sodium, which would be 21% of the recommended daily value. While salt is essential to our survival, too much sodium in a diet can cause high blood pressure. So, people who indulge in beef jerky often, as well as other salty foods may want to watch what they eat.

If you found this information on beef jerky risks useful, you'll want to read this article about alligator beef jerky.

dehydrator

Nesco American Harvest FD-61 Snackmaster Encore Dehydrator and Jerky Maker

This convenient dehydrator makes great tasting, healthy snacks & jerky! Introducing the Snackmaster?? Encore???. It's Grey top and marbled design features 500 watts of drying power, and generates maximum speed and quality for dehydrating fruits, vegetables, beef jerky, and venison jerky. Helps dry food in hours, not days like ordinary food dehydrators. The top mounted fan eliminates the worry of liquids dripping into the the heating chamber!You can make delicious beef jerky, turkey jerky, fish jerky, trail mix, homemade yogurt, apple snacks, banana chips, dried soup mixes, dried tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, papaya and other dried fruits at a fraction of the cost. Make dried herbs and spices; also make potpourri and dried flowers for any occasion.

Outdoor cooking is very popular, and there are a few different reasons for this. For one, outdoor cooking allows large groups of people to come together and enjoy themselves, and so it is a great means of entertaining. Also, the food that is cooked here has a much different taste than the more conventional oven cooked food, and really offers a unique charbroiled flavor.

There is something really special about outdoor cooking although it does involve quite a bit of skill and innovation. With a little practice and some effort however, anyone can become a talented outdoor chef and learn to cook for their friends and family.

Getting Started

Anyone interested in cooking outdoors will first have to get the necessary equipment. The first and most important piece of equipment here is going to be what they will cook in. The two most popular options here are the outdoor fireplace and the outdoor brick oven. Both of these help to deliver the tastes and aromas that you are looking for and both have models that range from affordable to high priced.

It really depends on the type of outdoor cooking that you are planning on doing. If you are an experienced chef who is planning to cook regularly then it will be more worth it for you to spend a bit more money and get a high quality oven. If you are just a beginner and are not sure how often you will be using it, then the best idea, at least for now, will be for you to stick to a lesser priced model.

A grill may also be a useful tool here and will be a good purchase to make for cooking in the outdoors. This is because there may be certain foods, namely vegetables and legumes that will have to be grilled as opposed to cooked.

Recipes

Coming up with recipes for your outdoor cooking is one of the most fun parts. A good idea is to select a couple dozen recipes that you like and then make a little cookbook out of these so that you can use them in the future.

Bread is especially delicious when cooked in an outdoor oven or fireplace, as is pizza and most pasta dishes. The options are really endless here, and if you are serving for an event of some sort the best idea will be to ask around and find out what foods everyone likes so that you can create a menu that is going to satisfy everyone's tastes.

Echo Wang is a contributing Editor for cooking Find out which cooking products, treatments & solutions will continue to be beautiful at any time. Our site is dedicated to providing information about cooking well options so you can continue to do it perfect, if want to more information, please visit Outdoor Cooking

dehydrator

Nesco All-in-One Food Dehydrator Kit, Model# FD50-WHC

Everything needed to dry fruit, vegetables, jerky and more. 500 Watts power plus patented coverage flow for even drying. No more rotating trays. U.S.A.

There is a misconception that having a healthy cooking lifestyle will have a huge strain on your pockets. This is not true however although of course there are some cases. But not necessarily! The ingredients you buy may depend. With a lot of money, you can create any healthy dish you want but you could also do it inexpensively. The main thing that you have to practice is wise shopping. You could do this by asking advice from those who do and undergoing research yourself. Ask lots of questions as possible.

Appropriate everything. If you have a limited budget, then do not buy cooking guides that are meant for those with lots of money. Remember your ingredients. You don't want to be stuck with a guide that requires you to buy ingredients that you can?t afford. Some healthy cookbooks offer fairly inexpensive recipes. You would be sure to find one don't worry.
You could surf the web to find out more about inexpensive cooking. There are a lot of suggestions and recommendations to help you every step of the way. You could learn new ideas that you haven't thought of before.

To help you in your goal, look for sources in the library, your favourite bookstore or even the local grocery. You will also find a lot of ideas and tips on other books and magazines. You could also interview or pick the brains of those who already follow a healthy yet inexpensive lifestyle. There are no greater tips than those that have been tried and tested first, after all!

The first thing that you might want to do is to buy items in bulk. There are cases wherein you even get a discount when it comes to buying many items. Check the grocery store that offer such deals and the vegetables that it applies to. But keep in mind the dates that they are still optimal for consuming.

You also want to take into account that dining out, even with just ordering salads, could still take a toll on your budget. You don't want to fall into that habit as usual salads cost up to as much as $15. You could opt to shop for the ingredients yourself for the same amount of money. It will even last longer! If you are serious about pursuing a healthy but inexpensive lifestyle, you have to make wise decisions about budget constraining activities like constantly dining out in restaurants.
This is actually applicable to any part of your diet. Many people do not realize that you spend more money when dining out than buying the ingredients and making the recipe yourself. It has also the advantage of letting you know what exactly it is you are eating. Having a restaurant salad doesn't assure you that you know all of the ingredients. You might be allergic to some so be careful. And since the cooking process is rarely put on the menu, then you never know if they're putting in stuff that you are trying to avoid.

Abhishek is really passionate about Cooking and he has got some great Cooking Secrets. up his sleeves! Download his FREE 88 Page Ebook, "Cooking Mastery!" from his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com/770/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

dehydrator

Nesco American Harvest FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator

The NESCO Professional Food & Jerky Dehydrator has more power than most dehydrators -- 700 watts -- which means faster drying time. You will have results in hours, not days. The top mounted fan with patented Converga-Flow action pressurizes air downward through the outer ring and horizontally across each individual tray, converging at the center, for fast, even drying. No need to rotate trays. The adjustable thermostat allows you to dry different foods at proper temperatures (95-155 F), providing the flexibility to produce the best drying results. As your needs grow, the Professional Food & Jerky Dehydrator can be expanded up to 12 trays.

Cube steak gets the Italian treatment in this recipe that features beef, tomatoes and fresh zucchini.

2 pounds beef cube steak
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ( 14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 ( 15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
5 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices

Directions

Place the cube steak, flour, salt, and pepper in a large plastic bag you can reseal. Seal and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat; brown the cube steak. Reduce heat to low, and mix in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, and Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer at least 1 hour, stirring once.

Place the zucchini in the skillet, and coat with the tomato sauce. Continue to simmer uncovered 10 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

=> Beef Brisket Recipes: Oven BBQ Beef Brisket

This is a very simple recipe for barbecue beef brisket that features cola, onion soup mix and chili sauce.

2 1/2 pounds beef brisket
1 ( 12 oz.) can or bottle cola carbonated beverage
1 ( 1 oz.) package dry onion soup mix
1 ( 12 oz.) can or bottle chile sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a roasting pan, place brisket fat side up. In a bowl, combine cola beverage, onion soup mix, and chile sauce. Pour chile sauce mixture over brisket.

Cover and bake for 3 to 4 hours. Uncover the brisket during the last hour of cooking.

=> Beef Jerky Recipes: Savory Beef Jerky

Save money and make your own beef jerky at home. Marinate strips of fresh beef in a spicy sauce then dehydrate to your taste.

2 pounds beef round steak, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon meat tenderizer
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Place beef strips in the bottom of a large bowl. Pour soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, brown sugar, salt, pepper, meat tenderizer, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika over beef. Mix well to assure all the meat is evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove beef from bowl and place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound beef to 1/8-inch thickness.

Arrange the beef strips on the tray of a dehydrator and dry at your dehydrator's highest setting until done to your liking - at least 4 hours. Store in an airtight container or resealable bags.

Delicious Recipes for your busy lifestyle - make awesome meals! http://www.best-free-cooking-recipes.com

dehydrator