Have you been wondering how to make beef jerky? If you love to cook and you love jerky, then you have every reason to want to learn how to make beef jerky! There is no reason why you should spend all your money at the store on different types of jerky when you can make your own at home!

One of the best things about learning how to make beef jerky is that you can make your jerky taste exactly how you want it to taste. It also makes great gifts.

Here are some tips on how to make beef jerky:

Make sure that the meat is the same thickness throughout. If you have a mechanical slicer, use it. If you are like the most of us, though, you do not. In this case, buy your meat from a good butcher and have him or her slice it for you! Of course, if making beef jerky is something that you really get into, you may want to consider buying a mechanical slicer sometime in the future.

If you are slicing at home, place the top round in the freezer about one hour before slicing. This is to make the slicing easier.

When slicing, cut across the grain -- some say that going against the grain will leave you with jerky that is easier to chew once dried. Of course, you can also try slicing with the grain.

The standard thickness for the meat is a quarter of an inch thick.

Yes, you can add Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to your beef jerky for flavor, but why add more moisture when the point the process of making jerky involves removing all moisture? Nonethless, a bit of Worcestershire sauce adds an excellent flavor.

Instead, use a rub. There are many great recipes online and in cookbooks, but you can also make up your own!

Start out by keeping your seasoning simple. Use salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, and maybe some red pepper. If you do not have a smokehouse and plan on using your oven to cook your beef jerky, consider adding a dry smoke flavor seasoning, too.

When first learning how to make beef jerky, and even once you have become a pro, it is a good idea to use some sodium nitrite, as well. Sodium nitrite also goes by the names Speed Cure, InstaCure, or Quick Cure. This is something that you will use very sparingly, about one oz. Per 25 pounds of meat. The reason that you want to use sodium nitrite is for food safety.

After you add your seasonings, refrigerate your meat for around 15 to 20 hours.

If you are just barely learning how to make beef jerky, you most likely do not have a smokehouse to smoke the jerky in. Therefore, to cook the jerky, you can use your oven. Set the temperature of your oven around 160 degrees and cook the jerky for around 6 hours. Be sure to leave the oven door slightly ajar!

You can tell when your jerky if it cracks, but does not break, when bent.