Making Beef Jerky

There are few foods that you could get everyone to agree on, but jerky is one that everyone in my family enjoys. And it's a GREAT snack food! Jerky is high in protein and low in fat, and when made at home you can enjoy it at a fraction of what it costs in stores. I normally use venison when making jerky, but sometimes you just can't wait till the Fall for a good batch of homemade jerky. I pretty much always use the same basic recipe. I may adjust the "spicyness" sometimes, but this is what I'll use for about 3-4 lbs of meat:

    1 C soy sauce

2 T worcestershire

2 T liquid smoke

1 T canning salt

1/2 T black pepper

1 T crushed red pepper

1/2 T garlic salt

Start out by slicing your meat. Trim away any fat. The thickness is a personal preference thing, I like somewhere between 1/8-1/4 inch. 

* slightly freeze the meat in order to make it easier to slice.

I like to mix my marinate ingredients in a shallow bowl, but a freezer bag works too.

Place one by one in the marinate so as to coat each piece, and refrigerate overnight.

I like to dry my jerky in the oven. So place the meat strips as close as possible without overlapping them on the oven rack and bake at lowest setting (150-175) for 5-6 hours.

That's it! Now get the floss ready and enjoy. :)