Jerky

My men folk are crazy about jerky, but it's expensive, so when a friend went on an elk hunt this year and gave us some meat, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.
You can also buy a lean cut of beef for jerky. Flank steak works great. You want the leanest meat you can get, because fat goes rancid, and nobody likes that, so you want to take the time to trim away as much fat as possible.
I slice the meat when it is partially frozen, because it is easier. Also, if you slice with the grain, the jerky will be more chewy, against the grain, it is easier to bite off, and less chewy.
I always play around with different seasonings and you should too. Sometimes I make it sweet, sometimes spicy, and other times a bit of both.
This recipe results in a spicy teriyaki flavor.

Ingredients:
4 lbs lean meat, sliced into 1/8-1/4 inch thickness
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS garlic powder
2 tsp cajun seasoning or jamaican jerk seasong
3 TBS brown sugar
1/2 C pineapple juice
1/2 C gluten free soy sauce
1/2 C worcestershire sauce ( Lea & Perrin's is gluten free)
1 TBS sriracha sauce
1. Combine all of your marinade ingredients in a glass bowl, and whisk well.

2. Place your meat in a gallon size ziploc freezer bag, or a large glass bowl.
pour the marinade over the meat and mix well with your hands. 
Place in fridge (cover your bowl with plastic wrap, if that is what you used), and let marinate for 12-24 hours.

3. Drain liquid from meat and squeeze out any excess. Place in trays of your dehydrator, leaving gaps between the slices so air can flow.

4. Dry at 160*F for anywhere from 5-12 hours. This will vary according to how thick your slices are and how much moisture is in your meat. I usually average 6-9 hours
I check it periodically by taking a piece out after a while and letting it cool. It should bend without breaking.
From time to time, I will use a paper towel to dab away any fat that shows up on the surface of the strips, because no matter how much you trim, there will always be some there.
You will find that it doesn't all dry at the same time, so be prepared to remove some and leave the rest to continue drying. I usually start with 6 trays, and by the end, I'm down to 1 or 2.

5. Let it cool and place in ziploc bags or if you have a food saver, package it up for storage.

6. If you want any for yourself, HIDE IT!