Beef Jerky

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F/107°C. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Unfold the skirt steak and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the beef crosswise, against the grain (so that you sever the tough, thin fibers that you can see on the steak) into 2inch/5cm wide strips.
3. You want the strips to be no more than 1/8-inch/0.3cm thick, so if they are thicker, slice each strip into two thinner, 1/8-inch\0.3cm thick strips. This is not too hard to do, but if you want to make it even easier, place the beef strips in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing them thinner.
4. Use a meat pounder to pound the strips so that they are thinner and more even in thickness.
5. Place the beef strips in a large bowl, add the spices and toss with your hands until thoroughly coated.
6. Arrange the beef strips on the two baking sheets, not touching each other. Bake 3 hours, rotating the position of the baking sheets midway, until beef is browned and dry.
7. Remove to a cooling rack placed on a tray or on foil (to catch any drips). Allow to cool and dry about one hour before enjoying. Refrigerate any leftovers – they’re delicious straight out of the fridge.