Cajun Beef Jerky

Ingredients

1 lb Meat

4 tsp Packed brown sugar

2 tsp Dry mustard

1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

2 tbsp sweet paprika

2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground allspice

Directions

1Put meat in freezer for about half hour or until firm but not solid.

2Using a sharp knife, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips, cutting with the grain for chewy strips or across the grain for more brittle strips.

3In a bowl, combine paprika, brown sugar, salt, mustard, ginger, cayenne and allspice. Add meat strips and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes, or cover to refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F.

4Arrange meat strips on prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each strip. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels, turning to blot both sides.

5Place cooked meat strips on mesh drying trays. Dry at 155°F for about 7 to 9 hours, occasionally blotting any fat that rises to the surface with paper towels, until jerky is firm and flexes and cracks, but doesn’t break, when gently bent. Transfer to a clean baking sheet lined with paper towels and let cool completely, turning once to blot thoroughly.