A Really Tasty Beef Jerky (Soy-Free. Gluten-Free.)

Ingredients:
3lbs Round Roast (Grass-Fed and Finished), trimmed of excess fat 

4 Cups Organic Apple Juice (make sure you are using a product with no other additives)

1T. Garlic Powder

1T. Smoked Paprika

1T. Smoked Sea Salt (find a natural wood-smoked product*)

1T. Penzey’s BBQ 3000** (or your favorite spice blend)

1. Partially freeze meat for 2-4 hours, until mostly solid.
2. Slice meat into about 1/8” thickness strips (I use a meat slicer, but you can also do so with a really sharp nice); cut against the grain of the meat. 
3. Transfer sliced meat to a large container (I use plastic shoe boxes).
4. Mix the apple juice and spices in a large measuring cup or bowl and pour over meat, to marinate.  Put a lid on the container(s) and transfer to the refrigerator. Allow meat to marinate overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 165F. I have a convection oven and set it on “Pure Convection”; if you have this setting, use it or follow the directions on your food dehydrator. 
6. If using an oven, set up racks (used for cooling cookies and cakes) over cookie sheets lined with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup). Lay strips of beef out on racks and transfer to the oven.
7. Cook at 165F for about 3 hours***, with the door slightly ajar (I use a folded towel to keep the door propped open); cooking time will depend on the thickness and size of your meat slices. 
8. Once jerky is to your desired texture, it can be transferred to a tupperware container to retain moisture. If you plan to keep it around longer than a few days, package in airtight packaging (I use FoodSaver bags). 

*I found them at Whole Foods and Williams-Sonoma, but also check online. 

**I experimented with this spice mix, after my friend Jen sent it to me...it adds great flavor! This jerky is also really flavorful without it, but tastes even better with it. 

**As the meat dehydrates, it is losing it’s moisture, so watch to make sure that it doesn’t dry out too much.