Do You Have To Cook Beef Jerky Before Dehydrating?

Do You Have To Cook Beef Jerky Before Dehydrating? Do you have to cook beef jerky before dehydrating? The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline’s current recommendation for making jerky safely is to heat meat to 160 °F and poultry to 165 °F before the dehydrating process. This step assures that any bacteria present will be