Step Aside, Slim Jim

Thanks to low-carbohydrate diets like Atkins, beef jerky is in the midst of a Chanel-bag-like revival. Cathy Sturm of Wisconsin-based Jack Link's Beef Jerky says manufacturers are winning over women and children to the macho snack with softer, tenderer products such as jerky nuggets and more sophisticated flavors like Hawaiian teriyaki. There is even a vegetarian option: meatless jerky made from mushrooms or soybeans. Niman Ranch, whose meats adorn plates at such acclaimed restaurants as Gramercy Tavern and Chez Panisse, has started selling steak jerky for $29 per 9 oz. in the Williams-Sonoma catalog this fall. If your palate demands something...