The question is - why would you love beef jerky? Well, the question should be, why would you NOT love beef jerky? It's a very healthy and nutritious snack to have at any time of the day - you can dig into it when you get the midnight munchies, you can have it on the bus on your way back home from work, you could even pack some and take it to office to eat as an afternoon snack.
Beef jerky is high in protein and low in fat - this makes it a very appropriate snack for any time.
Today, jerky is almost like a staple food for American cowboys and pioneers.
But that is not to say that it's not eaten in other parts of America.
It is very filling and has a unique flavor.
When the Spanish got to know about this kind of meat preservation, they took it to other parts of the world.
Early explorers would build smoke huts, and then they hung the cuts of meat over a fire, to cure-smoke the meat.
When the meat was flavored and cured, it was referred to as jerky.
Today, it has adopted a variety of styles and spices, and has really expanded as a snack over the years.
So what do you need to make beef jerky? Well, you just need the meat, and the curing solution.
What kind of beef should you get, for the best possible beef jerky? You should get range fed, 100 percent premium, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspected visually lean, flank steak.
Remember that for one pound of jerky, you would need at least five pounds of meat.
You could use beef for the jerky you make, but if you don't like beef, you could also use chicken, venison, fish or even turkey.