If there’s a seasoning combination I hope to enjoy for the rest of my life, it’s the warm spices used across North Africa: Pungent cumin, lemony coriander, sweet anise-like fennel seeds, and a warm touch of chile heat. Here, I mince lean leg of lamb in the food processor to make a chewy, almost sausage-like jerky. It’s an unexpectedly complex taste to encounter in jerky. To make jerky strips out of ground meat, using a jerky gun is easiest, but see the headnote for Buffalo Jerky with Gin Botanicals for alternatives.
Ingredients
- 2 lb [910 g] lamb leg, fat trimmed, cut into small chunks
- 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1⁄2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1⁄4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
How to Make It
- Put the lamb in the freezer for about 1 hour to firm up.
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, combine the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds. Cook until the cumin seeds have darkened a shade and are toasted, 30 to 60 seconds. Let cool completely.
- In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, pulverize the toasted spices into a fine powder. In a small bowl, stir together with the smoked paprika, cinnamon, and salt.
- Grind the lamb using the fine blade of a meat grinder, or by pulsing it in a food processor (work in batches if you are using a food processor). In a medium bowl, mix the ground lamb with the spice mixture, garlic, and olive oil. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Line dehydrator trays with nonstick mesh sheets that have been lightly coated with cooking oil.
- Pipe the meat mixture in 2-by-4-in [5-by-10-cm] strips about 1⁄8 in [3 mm] thick onto the prepared trays. It is helpful to use a butter knife to neatly trim off the end of each meat strip. Dry at 160° to 165°F [71° to 74°C] for 4 to 6 hours, until dry to the touch, not pink in the middle, and still a bit pliable. Flip the strips once and rotate the trays once or twice during drying. Remove from the dehydrator and wrap the jerky strips in paper towels to absorb any excess fat. Let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container, preferably with a silica gel packet to extend freshness, in a dark place at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
