Have you ever made your own beef jerky before? My husband Mike has been making beef and venison jerky in our pellet smoker and absolutely loves it. So we decided to share with you Mike’s Smoked Jerky recipe/how to.
Spring is in the air here in Michigan which means we all get the itch to be outside more, use the grill/ smoker more, and eat a little lighter. we love using our smoker for a variety of foods like my Spicy Sausage Queso and even cocktails! Once he started experimenting with smoking jerky I knew we had to share it with you all. Mike will make this beef jerky and take it for lunch all week long to snack on.
Can you make jerky in a smoker?
We have done jerky in the dehydrator before but using the smoker just really enhances the flavor of the meat. So for Mike’s Smoked Jerky we walk you through what you need to make your own jerky at home using a pellet smoker.
What you need for Mike’s Smoked Jerky
- Top round beef or Eye of The Round (or Venison works well too)
- Jerky Seasoning/ Cure of choice (We use LEM Products)
- Water
- Sharp Knife ( or meat slicer)
- Cutting board
- Large Zip Lock Bags
- Wood Pellets of choice ( We like Gourmet Blend)
How to make beef jerky in your pellet smoker
First you need to prepare the meat ahead of time. With a sharp knife, trim the silver skin/fat off of top round beef. Then slice the meat to a length of choice by cutting against the grain. If you have a meat slicer, you can use that to help cut into perfect slices.
In a bowl, mix water with the cure and seasonings according to packaging. We Used LEM Products which have both cure and seasoning.
The packaging called for 1/2 cup of water per pound with 1/4 tsp cure, 3 1/2 tbsp. seasoning. Next add the sliced meat into the large Zip Lock Bags and add the water/cure/seasoning mixture dividing evenly into the bags. Release as much air as possible out of bags and seal. Refrigerate and let the meat soak in cure for a minimum of 8 hours up to 24 hours.
What temp to smoke jerky at
When ready to start the smoking process, heat the smoker up to 180 degrees. Make sure your auger is full of pellets of choice. Then place the jerky onto the grates of the smoker.
How long to smoke jerky
Close the lid and smoke the meat at 180 degrees for about 3- 4 hours. If you used a meat slicer and have thinner slices, your smoking time may be less. You will want to kind of eyeball it for when it looks done to you. Once finished smoking, let cool completely.
How to store smoked beef jerky
Place the smoked jerky into airtight containers or Zip lock bags for storage in the refrigerator.
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Mike’s Smoked Jerky
Equipment
- Sharp Knife or Meat Slicer
- Cutting board
- 2 gallon sized Large Zip Lock Bags
- Wood Pellets of choice
Materials
- 4 1/2 lbs top round beef (or cut of choice)
- Jerky Seasoning/ Cure of choice
- Water
Instructions
- With a sharp knife, trim the silver skin/fat off of top round beef.
- Then slice the meat to a length of choice by cutting against the grain.
- In a medium bowl ,mix the water with cure and seasonings according to packaging. (Ours called for 1/2 cup of water per pound with 1/4 tsp cure, 3 1/2 tbsp seasoning.)
- Place the meat slices in to large Zip Lock Bags and add the water/cure/seasoning mixture dividing evenly into the bags.
- Release as much air out of bags and seal. Refrigerate.
- Let the meat soak in the cure for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
- When ready to start the smoking process, heat the smoker up to 180 degrees.
- Place the jerky onto the grates of the smoker.
- Smoke at 180 degrees for about 3- 4 hours. (may be less if thinner slices)
- Once finished smoking, let cool completely.
- Then place into airtight containers or Zip lock bags for storage in the refrigerator.
Notes
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April 26, 2021 at 8:48 am[…] smoker all by myself and have fun with it! Mike uses it all the time to to make brisket and even smoked jerky! Any who, I was thinking I needed a new easy fun appetizer that we can make right outside if we […]