Beef Chips in a Dehydrator

Trim the beef (1000 g) well, removing membranes and excess fat, then grind it through a fine grinder plate. Cleaner, leaner meat gives a more even and glassy chip texture.

Mix water (100 g), curing salt (10 g), salt (8 g), paprika (2 g), coriander seeds (1.5 g), black pepper (1.5 g), dried garlic (0.5 g), allspice (0.3 g), and cardamom (0.3 g). Add the marinade to the ground beef, knead until fully uniform, transfer to a container, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Divide the meat into 200-230 g portions, place each between two sheets of cellulose film, and roll from the center outward. Aim for a thickness of about 4-5 mm and make the center slightly thinner than the edges so the sheet dries more evenly.

Move the sheets to dehydrator trays and dry at 50 C for 1 hour, then raise the temperature to 60 C and continue for 5-6 hours until the chips are dry, flexible-crisp, and almost translucent. Finish at 65 C for 10-15 minutes for a safer final heat step. Remove the film, cut the chips with scissors or a knife, and serve. If they over-dry and the film sticks, place them in a bag in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours so they soften slightly and the film comes off more easily.