snipped....I'm long-winded enough :-)

>
> Oh!!!! I didn't know one could dehydrate meat in the oven!!!!!!
> It is a good thing to know. The important is how do it
> Cheers
> Pandora
>

Pandora,

Below you will find a recipe I've used for years and was hounded repeatedly
to put in print by those who wanted to try it at home :-)

This is one of the ways I do it in the oven although I have also purchased
drying racks like those in the link below at BassPro Shops which are a lot
less work to use than the toothpick routine.

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...=TOP_SEARCH_GO


Keith's Lip Smackin' Deer Jerky

Meat:
5 Lbs. of venison, although any meat will work, my family prefers lean
venison (Whitetail Deer to be exact). I could put in apologies to the
vegetarian's here.. But if you were a vegetarian, you wouldn't want a recipe
for jerky anyhow! Try to use a cut that is relatively fat and gristle free
(On venison, I use the shoulder or ham.), remove as much of the fat, gristle
and silver-skin as you can then slice it thinly (according to personal
preferences.. I cut it somewhere between 1/8th inch to ¼ inch thick) into
strips approximately 1 inch wide and 6-12 inches long. It is easier to cut
if the meat is partially frozen. I like it warm and this produces a medium
to hot flavor, so feel free to reduce/leave out any of the pepper items if
you want a milder taste.

Marinade
1 jar of Dales Meat Marinade (There are several companies that make
something like this and it is primarily soy sauce, liquid smoke and spices
anyway)
or ½ to1 cup of Soy Sauce ,¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce,1/8 cup Liquid Smoke

and
6-Pack of Beer (1 can for the marinade and 5 for the cook and taste testers
while the jerky dries!)
1/8 cup of lemon juice
1 to 500 dashes of pepper sauce (Texas Pete, Tabasco, etc.) depending on how
hot you like it
3 Tablespoons of Garlic Salt
¼ to 1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Paprika
¼ to 1/2 Teaspoon Seasoned Pepper
¼ to 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
¼ to 3 Teaspoons of Crushed Red Peppers
¼ to 1 Teaspoon Powdered Jalapeno Pepper

This, like all of my cooking, is not an exact science and is highly subject
to taste, so experiment with the spices, etc. For less salty jerky, use
less salt and soy sauce and/or marinate the meat for a shorter period of
time. For a hotter flavor, tries using more of the pepper sauce, pepper and
paprika. For a teriyaki flavor, add pineapple juice and honey.
Place the meat in a gallon zip baggie or some other sealable container, add
all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place in the refrigerator for 8-48
hours (the longer it's sits in the bag, the more intense the flavor) and
turn/mix/stir at least 3 or 4 times during the process to ensure absorption
in all the meat. (The meat once cold has a tendency to clump up and if you
don't mix it up, the meat on the inside won't get any marinade)

___{}____ Toothpick
* {} * Rack
{}
{}
^
Meat


How to dry it

I have dried it on a smoker, a grill, a dehydrator and in the oven. I've
found the easiest by far is the oven or the dehydrator. The secret is that
you want low temperatures 160° or less and low humidity. You do not want to
cook the jerky, you want to dry it! Place the bottom rack as low as it will
go and cover it with foil to catch the drippings. Place the top rack as high
as it will go. Take the meat out and insert a toothpick in the end of each
slice and hang the meat on the top rack by placing the toothpicks across the
rack and the meat hanging straight down (See example above). Set the oven
for as low as it will go (160° or less preferably) and close the door
leaving a metal spoon or something holding the door open a crack so that the
moisture can escape. Leave in the oven for 4- 7 hours until it is fairly dry
but still somewhat flexible like leather as you want it dry, but not rock
hard. Next turn the oven off, close the door and leave for another 4-8
hours. (The time varies greatly due to the thickness/moisture content in the
meat and the temperature/relative humidity of the environment you are drying
it in as well. I usually begin the *sampling process* at about 4 hours and
repeat every 30 minutes or so for quality control purposes<G>. Remove
toothpicks and seal in a plastic baggie for safekeeping. Technically, it
should last for months if it's sealed up, but it rarely last more than a few
days at my house!

Enjoy,

Keith