I usually use top round or london broil, just recently I was short on time and tried the thin cut round steaks and it worked well. They are already about the right thickness, you just marinate them and lay them on the racks, no slicing involved! But, you can get a top round or london broil and just slice it about 1/8'' against the grain.

The marinade is mostly soy sauce. The amounts sort of depend on how much meat you have, but say maybe a cup of soy sauce and a couple tablespoons worch sauce. Then quite a bit of lemon pepper - maybe a tablespoon? And a little garlic powder, a half teaspoon or less.


Let the meat marinate at least 5 or 10 minutes. If you let it go too long it will get very salty. Mix it around a few times. Then, I use the cakes like you use to cool cakes or cookies. I place them directly on the oven racks and then lay the meat in a single layer on those. I put foil on the bottom of the oven for the first 15 mins or so, until the meat stops dripping. Then I pull the foil out.

You really want your oven set about as low as it will go. I don't have a thermometer, but it is so low you can pull the racks out with your bare hands - but if you hold on for more than a few seconds it gets a little too warm. I have gotten to where I can just sort of stick my hand in the oven and wave it around and tell if it is the right temp.

It takes a long time to dry out - 3 or 4 hours, at least. Just keep checking it and you can tell by look and touch if it is done. Watch the edges and you can see how they change. You want the whole thing to look like that. You don't want any of that grey color left, but you don't want it to go too long, or it will get hard and crunchy.

I have given out this recipe many times, but I have never known anyone else to try. Let me know if you try it and if my directions were good. This is one of those things that my grandma made and she taught my mom and my mom taught me, so I have no idea if I am telling people how to do it right.

Good luck! You will know you did it right if the meat is not too tough, a little soft and chewy and you can't stop eating it because it is so good