Basic Beef Jerky Recipe

Use lean beef with as much of the fat trimmed off as possible. (Actually, just about any meat should work -- the original recipe calls for buffalo.)
Cut into strips about 1/8" thich and 1" wide. (I tend to cut mine a little thicker. Doesn't really matter, just be consistent.)
Marinate strips in sauce for at least 30 minutes. This gives it a slightly salty taste and helps bring out the flavor when dried.
"Jerk" or pull strips lightly and lay out on an ungreased cookie sheet in a single layer.
Set oven at the lowest temperature, and keep it propped open while drying the meat. It should not get above 140-150F during the drying process. If you have a gas stove, you might be able to get away with the heat generated from the pilot light.
Dry the meat until it is tough and chewy. The original recipe says 12 hours or overnight, but I've found that around 4 hours is sufficient in my oven. The drying time is really dependent on your oven. I suggest testing a small piece every hour or so until it gets to the right consistency.
DO NOT over-dry the meat. It tends to powder and loses flavor if it's over-dried.

I've experimented with spices a little - I've found that a mix of curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, turmeric, and white pepper adds quite a punch to the flavor. After marinating, coat the meat on ONE side ONLY with the spice mix and then place on the cookie sheet. (Since curry is rather over-powering, dipping both sides loses the meat jerky flavor and all you taste is spice.)

The jerky keeps very well in an airtight container, or it can be frozen (make sure it's _very_ airtight).

(The basic recipe is from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American)
Posted by Brian Bankler to rec.food.recipes on Feb 23, 1994.