I do mine in my dehydrator. It works out well as I have a digital electric smoker that I can program to run a certain time. I set it to 160 for 4 1/2 hours and it is usually about perfect at that point.
I have a couple of recipes that I use frequently. I generally use venison for my jerky, and tend to make whole muscle jerky instead of restructured (ground) jerky. One thing to note if you are making ground jerky: Do NOT blend meats, it should be all beef, all venison (of the same variety) etc.
A meat slicer is invaluable for making whole muscle jerky. You don't need a high-end commercial grade slicer, a cheap slicer will work just fine. I used a sub $100 (I think it was $60) slicer for several years before I finally burned the gearbox out. Keep the meat semi-frozen to aid in cutting, especially if you are slicing it thin. Be aware that the final thickness will be a good deal thinner than what you start out with, probably about 1/2.
If you don't have a meat slicer, you can use a couple of skewers or similar items of uniform thickness to act as a guide for your knife. You set them on either side of the meat to be sliced and run the knife on top of them to get uniform slices of meat. Having uniform slices is extremely important when it comes to drying, otherwise you may have some pieces that get too dry and others that aren't try enough.
Teriyaki Jerky (A sticky-sweet jerky that is hard to put down)
5 Lbs lean meat
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Teaspoon curing salt
1 Tablespoon garlic granules
1 Tablespoon ginger
1 Tablespoon ground yellow mustard
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Cups corn syrup
1 1/2 Cups cold water.
Slice the meat into 1/4 to 3/8 inch slabs
Combine the ingredients in a non-metallic container (ziplock bags work well, I find it works best to mix all the non-meat ingredients first and then add the meat)
Refrigerate the mixture at least 8 hours to cure, mixing occasionally.
Spread the strips out on a drying rack, DO NOT RINSE THEM.
Dry at 150-170 degrees using a smoker, oven, or dehydrator for 5-24 hours, depending on the method used. Check occasionally for desired level of dryness.
The jerky is done when there is very little moisture left on the inside. The outside will be slightly sticky, but the strips should still be flexible enough to bend without snapping.
Standard Peppered Jerky
5 # lean meat
4 Tbsp salt
1 Tsp curing salt (Tender Quick, etc)
1 Tsp Liquid Smoke (I dry mine with my smoker, so I left this out)
1 Tsp white pepper
1 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tsp coriander
2 Tsp garlic powder
5 cups cold water
Coarse-ground black pepper (to taste, add before drying)
Slice the meat into even slabs, 1/8 inch to 3/8 inch
Mix all of the ingredients in a large container (I use gallon size ziplock bags) with the exception of the meat and black pepper. Mix well and add the meat.
Refrigerate the mixture at least 8 hours, I typically go longer (24-48). Stir/mix/agitate occasionally.
Lay the strips out on drying racks. DO NOT RINSE!!
Sprinkle each piece generously with the black pepper.
Dry at 150-170 Degrees using an oven, smoker, or dehydrator. Check occasionally for dryness, until jerky reaches your desired level of dryness. It will take 4-24 hours, depending on the drying method used. Jerky should have no visible moistness on the outside, yet still be flexible enough not to snap when you bend it.