Wow!  Yes that does help.  Methinks I see a dehydrator in my  
future.  :-)
Do you suppose it's just as good to use "tallow" for the fat part of it?
Thanks Elizabeth!

On Aug 25, 2009, at 8:18 PM, Elizabeth Beasley wrote:

> I found an upscale local grocery store that gives me beef fat scraps  
> for
> practically nothing, and so I think they are pretty good quality. I  
> take a
> large kettle, and put them in, and add some water. I simmer them for  
> what
> seems like a long time. The water goes away, and I keep cooking it  
> on low,
> stirring it often. I'd like to say mine takes about 8 hours, but I  
> heard you
> can put them in a large pan in the oven and cook low. You know they  
> are done
> when there are bits that are really crispy, like pork rinds. You can  
> eat
> them. That is the rendering the fat part of it.
>
> For the beef part, I buy eye of round steaks. I slice them as thin  
> as I can,
> and put them in my Nesco food dehydrator. I have the one that has 5  
> trays
> and adjustable temperature. I've "cooked" them on low (90F) and higher
> (140F) and I can't tell the difference taste wise, it takes less  
> time with a
> higher temperature, but you're supposed to dehydrate on the lower  
> temp for
> longer to help keep all the happy stuff in it good (my technical  
> term).
>
> Once the beef is now really crispy jerky, I put it in the food  
> processor
> until it looks like dust. It's okay if it has some bits in it.
>
> I weigh the fat, and weigh the meat, and whatever has the lower  
> number, go
> with that weight for the other. So basically if I have a pound of  
> fat, I add
> a pound of the dry meat. I do add some salt, pepper, and garlic  
> powder to
> mine, hardly at all. I mix it all up. The fat has to be liquid but not
> really hot.
>
> Then I put a sheet of that freezer paper on my counter, and pour the  
> mixture
> on it. I add another piece of freezer paper on top of that, and  
> flatten it
> out to about 1/4" inch. I put it in the fridge (or freezer if I'm  
> impatient)
> until it's hard. Then I break it into pieces and put in containers  
> which I
> keep in the fridge. I like it right out of the fridge the best.
>
> Hope that helps!
>
> Elizabeth
>