Have you ever wondered why beef jerky is so expensive? It isn’t a conspiracy against your munchies—it’s simple economics. You see, it takes a lot of beef to make a single ounce of jerky. The elaboration of beef jerky involves a process of dehydration that eliminates most water out of the meat cut. Considering beef is approximately 60% water, this method shrinks it in size and weight—it takes 2.5 lbs. of beef to make a single one of jerky. This ramps up the costs and investments—but the result is pure, concentrated beef flavor in a single bite.