Effects of Curing Methods on the Quality Characteristics of Pork Jerky

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality characteristics of pork jerky prepared under two curing methods (immersion and tumbling). Jerky was dried using cured pork meat immersed for 6, 12, 24, or 48 h, or tumbled for 10, 20, 30, or 60 min. In jerky manufacturing, the tumbling process had a significant influence on increased moisture contents, reduced textural hardness, and improved in sensorial tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptance compared to immersion. Within the same curing method, longer curing times resulted in an increase in the moisture content, redness, and TBA values. Additionally, the sensorial texture, juiciness, and overall acceptance of pork jerky tumbled for 30 and 60 min had significantly higher sensory scores than other treatments.