system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why is beef jerky so expensive?
gpt
Beef jerky has two major inputs, steak and energy.  Which combine to reduce the size and weight of the steak.  A pound of steak becomes a few ounces of beef jerky, and the few ounces of jerky need to cover the cost of the steak and energy required to evaporate all the water and add the tasty smoke.