Dehydrator/Oven Beef Jerkey

Mouth water beef jerky made from ground meat and a "Jerky Gun". Directions for a dehydrator or oven included.

• Ready In: 8 hrs 10 mins
• Yields: 1 batch

Ingredients

• 2  lbs lean ground beef
• 2  lbs ground turkey or 2  lbs  ground venison
• 2  teaspoons onion powder
• 2  teaspoons garlic powder
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar (I like a sweetness to mine) (optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (to taste)
• 8  tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 8  tablespoons soy sauce
• 4  tablespoons ketchup
• 4  teaspoons kosher salt

Directions

1. Mix the beef/turkey and all the ingredients in a large glass bowl, then cover it with plastic wrap and left it to refrigerate/marinate for about 4-5 hours.
2. Using your Jerky Gun, fill your dehydrator racks, careful not too overlap the slices.
3. After all the raw jerky slabs placed onto my trays run the dehydrator for about 8-10 hours at 145 degrees. The last hour periodically check on the consistency of the jerky. The edges will be the first to dry out. When the center still had a tiny bit of "softness" to it seems to be the consistency that is perfect to me. For a tougher jerky, of course, cook longer and just keep checking. Take a piece out and let it cool and see what you think about the consistency. When the jerky is cooled, it tends to stiffen up a bit. So, keep testing until you find your perfect "bite".
4. The final count all depends on what length of jerky slabs you make. If you made your pieces about 6-7 inches long, you could get about 70 (give or a take) pieces. If you choose to go for the longer (11 inches), you should end up with about 40ish pieces. That's alot of jerky!
5. Note~ Don't have a dehydrator, no prob. Just place jerky on baking sheets and stick in a 150-170 degree oven for 8-12 hours. Flipping over every couple of hours. If you have a cooling rack that will fit on top of your baking sheet, that is even better as this will allow the heat to evenly cook the meat where you would not have to flip the jerky. Place a wooden spoon in the oven door, as to prop it open. This will help the drying process by allowing the moisture to escape. Your house will smell AMAZING too!