As a general rule, meat can't reach oven temp due to evaporative cooling.. some testing indicates, 25 deg. F below oven temp is all that can be achieved.. Heating meat to 165 F, while it is wet, is one of the safe options..
https://foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Making_Safe Jerky_in_a Home_Dehydrator3.pdf
Choose one of the following recommended drying methods:
Dry meat at 145° - 155°F for at least 4 hours followed by heating in a pre-heated 275°F oven for 10 minutes. Drying meat at a temperature below 145°F will produce a product that looks done before it is heated enough to destroy pathogens, and before it has lost enough moisture to be shelf-stable. Only a few dehydrators currently on the market will maintain the necessary temperature of 145° - 155°F: the Gardenmaster by Nesco/American Harvest and the
Excalibur are two such units. Each of these units has a large heating element, strong air flow, and adjustable temperature setting. Dry for at least 4 hours (6 hours is preferable) and remove jerky from the
dehydrator. Place dried strips on a baking sheet, close together but not touching or overlapping. Heat in a pre-heated 275°F oven for 10 minutes to an internal temperature of 160°F – strips thicker than ¼” (when raw) may require longer to reach 160°F. In our research, strips removed from the oven were sizzling hot. Remove oven-heated samples from the oven, cool to room temperature, and package. Always include the post‐drying oven‐heating treatment as a safety precaution. Steam or roast meat strips in marinade to an internal temperature of 160°F before drying; heat poultry to 165°F (internal temperature) before drying.
The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline currently recommends this method for making safe jerky. The pre‐heating step assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed before drying and a lower dehydrator temperature (130° to 140°F) can be used. After boiling, dehydrate meat for 4 to 6 hours. No post-dehydration oven-heating is necessary. Since it can be impossible to accurately measure the internal temperature of a thin strip of meat, consumers can boil meat in marinade (or water) for 5 minutes before drying. Unfortunately, this USDA‐recommended method produces a dried, crumbly product that would be judged inferior by Wisconsin standards for chewy, flexible jerky.
Dried jerky can be stored for 1 to 2 months