Thai beef jerky using the sun drying method

1. Cutting the beef. Slice the beef into thin, long slices around 1/4 inch wide to 4 inches long. It's okay to Play around with the thickness of the meat slices. In various Thai and Lao restaurants, I've seen beef slices in square-shaped or long, wide, thick cuts. Add the beef strips into a large bowl or container. 
2. Marinating the Beef. Pound minced or shaved the garlic into small pieces. Garlic paste is perfect for this recipe. Add the garlic and the remaining ingredients  (fish sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, sugar)to the beef strips to marinate. Use your hands to massage the seasoning to make sure they are well coated in the seasoning mixture. Kitchen gloves are helpful for this step.  Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 
3. Prepare to sun dry the meat. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and Arrange the beef strips into a single layer over a large baking sheet/cookie sheet. Don't overcrowd or pile the pieces on top of each other, as you want them to dry out for the dry, jerky texture. 
4. Sun-drying Thai beef jerky. Place the trays of beef jerky on a flat surface with full sun exposure. Use a food cover to keep bugs and flies from the meat. Let it sun dry for 2-3 hours, depending on your temperature. Gauge the doneness with how dry and pliable the meat is. You want the meat to be dry outside and soft in the middle. 
5. Frying the meat. Once the meat is dry and ready, prepare to fry it on the stovetop. On medium-high heat, Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and let it get hot before frying the meat. Add the dried beef slices to the heated oil and cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Drying Thai beef jerky using the oven method

1. Prep and marinate the beef as in steps 1-2 above.
2. Preparing to oven dry the meat. Preheat your oven to its lowest temperature (around 170°F or 75°C). Place the marinated beef strips on an oven rack. Keep the oven door slightly ajar to allow air circulation. 
3. Checking for Doneness. Depending on the temperature, your oven drying can take 4-5 hours or more. The final texture of the beef jerky should be firm but slightly pliable, with some moisture left. Be cautious not to dry the meat; it will get too touchy to chew on. If you like your beef jerky extra chewy, give it the extra time to dry.
4. Fry the beef jerky. Fry the meat the same way as in step 5 above. 

Making Thai beef jerky using the air fryer method

1. Prep and marinate the beef the same way as in steps 1-2 above
2. Preparing to air fry the meat. Preheat the air fryer to 160°F (70°C) or the lowest temperature setting available. Place the beef strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between each strip for air circulation.
3. Dehydrate the beef in the air fryer for about 2-3 hours or until it reaches your desired dryness level. Check on it periodically and flip the strips halfway through for even drying. Once the beef jerky is dry, remove it from the air fryer and let it cool completely. Store the beef jerky in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to two weeks.
4. Frying Thai beef jerky in the same way as step 5 above. That's it! Enjoy.