Hi Leisel!

I grind my jerky in a blender.  I put about five strips in at a time.  I buy
those funky plastic blenders at K-Mart for about $14.00.  Then I don't feel
so bad about the abuse.  The resulting product is a powder, with strips of
sinewy strands.  These are fine to eat, and will get hidden by the fat in the
pemmican.

Also, make sure to dry some liver or heart to mix in with your powdered meat.
 ITs a great way to sneak in organ meat into a cavegirl's diet.  Don't put
more than 25% liver in or, it may taste too strong.

As for drying, some people get uptight about bacteria, so they dry at 145
degrees (F).  But, I like to eat live enzymes (anything under 104 degrees) &
raw when I can, so I dry my jerky at 95 degrees, and it just takes longer.  I
use an Excalibur dehydrator.   I figure the traditional way to dry meat was
to hang it either over a smoky fire, or in the heat of the day.  So, I have
never had a problem with 95 degrees.

The rule of thumb is when the jerky doesn't bend, but rather snaps, its done
drying.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Judy Genova, cavegirl