# Beef Heart Jerky



## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

I was actually looking for HUMAN recipes for beef heart and stumbled on this:
Beef Heart Jerky For Dogs Recipe - Food.com - 390241
I know a lot of y'all feed beef heart, and thought it might make a good training treat :biggrin: I think I would have a hard time saving any for the dog!


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

:shocked: woah, I did not know you can "dehydrate" meats using an oven.

Neeeaaaat, better bet I'm gonna try it :nerd:


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## lmgakg (Jan 1, 2011)

3Musketeers said:


> :shocked: woah, I did not know you can "dehydrate" meats using an oven.
> 
> Neeeaaaat, better bet I'm gonna try it :nerd:


Maybe I did it wrong, but I tried using my oven this past weekend and yeah, it did not work so well. I ordered a dehydrator!!! Anyway - if it works for you, please please share your tips!!!


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## eternalstudent (Jul 22, 2010)

You need a low heat around 100 F, leave the door open a bit and if it is very fatty then you need to raise the meat out of the juices.

hope this helps


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## sarweim (Jan 2, 2011)

I can just see my cats trying to climb into the hot oven. Think I'll try to come up with a safety screen before I try this one. Of course, I also have to find some beef heart.

Does this work with other meats, too? My little squirt is going to be starting agility this Spring, and I really want to have some excellent, enticing treats for her.


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

lmgakg said:


> Maybe I did it wrong, but I tried using my oven this past weekend and yeah, it did not work so well. I ordered a dehydrator!!! Anyway - if it works for you, please please share your tips!!!


Did you leave the fat on by chance? Fat will go rancid when drying so that may have been the case.


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

sarweim said:


> I can just see my cats trying to climb into the hot oven. Think I'll try to come up with a safety screen before I try this one. Of course, I also have to find some beef heart.
> 
> Does this work with other meats, too? My little squirt is going to be starting agility this Spring, and I really want to have some excellent, enticing treats for her.


It certainly should! I know for a fact that some people do it with liver.


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## bumblegoat (May 12, 2010)

Using the oven to dehydrate works fine, I've done it before. I dehydrated whole chicken hearts recently.

I had actually never even heard of a dehydrator before I saw someone mention it on a American dog forum. I have never seen a dehydrator, and you can barely find them here. They seem handy, but the oven works for me.


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## sarweim (Jan 2, 2011)

Ooooh, chicken hearts! I have a whole bunch of those! Maybe I'll try that tomorrow, as a test run!


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## lmgakg (Jan 1, 2011)

Cliffdog said:


> Did you leave the fat on by chance? Fat will go rancid when drying so that may have been the case.


I did read that you were supposed to cut the fat off, so I did - mostly, I wasn't totally anal about that! But I did it at 200, left the door open, had them on like a broiler type thing, so that they weren't actually sitting in any grease.....I don't know, maybe I didn't have enough patience, but I swear they were in there for like 2+ hours! 

And - I did read about people doing venison and liver jerky....I'm guessing just about any meat would work! You know, if you know how to do it!!!  As for me, I'll just wait for the dehydrator to come....it is a cool idea though especially for when you want treats on the go! The idea of carrying around a pocket full of raw meat just doesn't sound fun at all!!!!


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## Cliffdog (Dec 30, 2010)

You may have had the heat too high. 100/150 should be the highest temp you use. But, I dunno! If I could afford a dehydrator I would certainly use it instead. And yeah, LOL, I don't imagine carrying a bloody steak in your pocket would be ideal.


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## lmgakg (Jan 1, 2011)

Cliffdog said:


> You may have had the heat too high. 100/150 should be the highest temp you use. But, I dunno! If I could afford a dehydrator I would certainly use it instead. And yeah, LOL, I don't imagine carrying a bloody steak in your pocket would be ideal.


haha, yea, especially not for a vegan!!! And maybe that was the problem - I'm vegan, I'm not supposed to COOK meat!!!! But hey, if the dehydrator works - I'll send ya send!


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

If you want to retain as much nutrition as possible you'll want to dehydrate without using heat...

My most favorite (and CHEAP) method is
Good Eats w/ Alton Brown - A cheap, simple, home food dehydtator :biggrin:


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