i usually make my jerky out of deer or antelope; any meat will do, but the main thing is to have no fat in your jerky, so make sure it is well-trimmed. i've done strips and i've also done cubes. the cubes were easier than i thought they would be and also turned out better than i thought they would be - the red, chewy center was very good and reminded me of italian parma ham or south african biltong.
i find that with jerky seasonings, brines, marinades etc., the key is a good balance of salty, spicy and sweet. i usually cure my jerky meat with tender-quik and find that this is usually enough salt for the brine. for the spicy part, chrushed red pepper flakess are good, although there is nothing wrong with CBP. for the weet, molasses is good, sometimes apple juice, i even used a can of dr. pepper once with very good results.
jerky seasong can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be, but the balance mentioned above will provide a great end product; from there, you can push it in any direction you want, but it is not necessary. in fact, some of the best jerky i had was as simple as salt, crushed red pepper flakes and molasses, nothing else.
finally, make sure you DRY your jerky, not COOK it. temperatures should be low and air flow is the most important factor. if your nesco has a temp adjustment, it shouldn't be any higher than 140, 160 tops. i usually find that i get a little better flavor from an oven set at the lowest setting with the door propped open by a butter knife or wooden spoon. for the same of experimentation, you might try some finished in the nesco and some done in the oven. as for smoke, i use my little and big chief smokers for that, and 2 pans of chips is enough, never more. one pan might be fine, as well - it is easy to voer-do it since the meat dries and shrinks.