Delicious Homemade Jerky

I have been going crazy in Peru without beef jerky.  I finished up my supply I brought back from Maine in November and finally got fed up without it.  I mean honestly, what kind of country doesn't have beef jerky?!  haha.  So, I decided to try my hand at making some.  I couldn't have picked a worse time.  It is like 30c out and about 40c in the apartment and we have no AC.  But it was worth the sweating.  I marinated the jerky all day and started it baking at about 10 pm and got up to check it every few hours. In the morning there it was, and it was delicious.  If we didn't know better we would never know it was home made.  The flavor is amazing and aside from a few rogue pieces, it is tender and delicious!  So delicious that I made another batch 3 days later :)  So enjoy and this is one where I think I might have to do a lot of experimenting!  I love all the crazy flavors of jerky that they are coming out with at home!

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs london broil beef or 4 lbs flank steaks.  I used some random Peruvian cuts.  I just bought a few packs of the leanest I could find.
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, more if you like it hot
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup Frank's red hot sauce
• I also added the juice from 1/2 a keylime to my 2nd batch and it was a nice touch.

Directions:

• Trim all fat off meat.  Cut steak in to strips.  Depending on the cut of meat you are using can depend on the size, just don't cut it thinner that 1/4".  It is easier to cut if it is still a bit frozen.
• Pound meat lightly, you don't want it too thin.
• Add all ingredients in a large bowl.
• Mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight (8 hrs).
• Line cookie sheets with tin foil.
• Place steak strips on sheets, don't overlap meat.
• Set oven at lowest temperature. (150-175°F) (50-75c)
• Bake six hours, turning after three hours.
• Jerky is done when meat is dried out, depending on your oven.  My second batch actually took about 9 hours to be done!  But it is worth the weight.