My beef/deer jerky recipe (oven style)

[shawn706]

Remove all fat, and tendon you can and cut into strips.
The cooking style works for any recipe, but heres mine.
Mix 3/4 cup Dale's stake marinade, 2 tbsp of liquid smoke, and 2 tbsp of crushed red pepper. Soak the meat overnight (12 to 16 hrs).
Move the top oven rack as high as it will go, and the bottom as low as it will go, and cover the bottom with foil the catch the dripings. Hang the meat on tooth pics, or bambo skewers from the top rack. Ive done this in gas and electric ovens.
For electric set it at 170 and let it cook about 6hrs, longer if you like thick jerky.
For gas set it as low as it will go and still come on and put something in the door so that it is barly cracked, I used a spoon, check it after about 6 hrs and let it run longer if it still feels soft in the center of the largest piece.

[Tom G.]

I've done a lot of jerky in the oven, too, and I use several of the jerky racks that look like window screen - they do work great!!!

I use cookie sheets to catch the drippings, and it props the rack high enough in the air to get good air flow...

I like the spoon idea, Shawn...

[Joe Skeeter]

How can you tell if its done enough?

[Tom G.]

I'm like Shawn - I check the thickest piece for softness in the middle... Jerky, however will be a bit soft when warm, so I taste test... I let the piece cool, though, before tasting because it will firm up a little as it cools.... Gotta have a cold one to help with the testing, too...