Guys, the sliced meat is the same meat used as ground meat. It all tastes the same when made into jerky. Ground meat is much easier. I used to slice my meat, but now I grind my own and make jerky out of it. I also add a little ground beef while grinding my venison. This helps it stick together better. You don't have to marinate it. You save so much time by using ground, and it tastes great. I made some a few days ago and it is delicious. The only problem is it's like candy. It's hard to stop eating it. I have to make myself stop eating so I'll have some left. I used 2 pounds this time, so it should last me a few days longer. If you love jerky and you don't have a dehydrator, get one. With ground meat it takes about 5 to 5 1/2 hours. I think I'll go eat some now.