I gather that removing the fat seems to prolong the lifespan of the dried jerky as some people fear the fat becoming rancid. Not an issue for us, much, as many long-term RVAFers go in for eating raw, aged meats as well. Come to think of it, some non-RVAFers make pemmican which is full of cooked animal fat(ugh!) which lasts forever, so I don`t know what the fuss is all about.
The key point being that eating raw animal fat is fine provided that it is of high-quality. In other words, grassfed not grainfed, or similiar. Incidentally, while there are many differing views as to what constitutes "raw", imo, I would suggest only dehydrating at 40 degrees Celsius/104 Degrees Fahrenheit or below, as the key enzymes in raw meat apparently start breaking down after that point.
