Smokin' Sweet Beef Jerky

Who doesn't love beef jerky?  But who loves to pay a lot for it?  Not me!  This is one of those recipes that are so simple you will wonder why you weren't making this on your own all this time.  A positive thing about 2020 is it gave me some more time to experiment with recipes I've been wanting to make.  Beef jerky was one of them.  

So I used 1 pound of beef bottom round stir fry steak.  I found it presliced at Walmart which makes things so much easier.  You're going to pay a bit more per pound for it than if you were to buy it whole and slice it yourself.  But for me, it's worth it since I don't have the time (or patience) to slice it at home.  

When making beef jerky, you should use a lean beef that has very little fat content.  The fat will not render and then can make the beef spoil faster.  I use Himalayan pink salt, but you can use any type of salt you like. 

I purchased the Pink curing salt on Amazon.  The Prague Poweder #1 pink curing salt will allow you jerky to have a longer shelf life after it's been smoked.  

For my smoking wood flavor, I used Lumberjack BBQ Pellets Supreme Blend.  It has a great Oak, Hickory and Cherry flavor.  After you finish smoking your jerky, place them in a vaccum sealed bag and store them for future use  

Ingredients: 

1 lb Beef Bottom Round Steak
12 oz. Dr. Pepper
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Hymalayan Pink Salt
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp Prague Powder #1 curing salt
Smokin Sweet Rub 

1. Combine black pepper, Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, Himalayan Pink salt and Prague Pink curing salt into a bowl and mix until all the ingredients are dissolved. 

2. Place the sliced top round beef into a zip lock bag and pour marinade into the bag. 

3. Place marinated meat into the fridge and let set for 24 hours. 

4. The next day, preheat your smoker to 170 degrees.

5. Spray cooling rack with non-stick Pam spray.

6. Spread the beef out on the cooling racks, making sure not to overlap. 

7.  Sprinkle one side of the beef with Smokin' Sweet BBQ Rub.

8.  Sprinkle pepper on one side of the beef (optional) for added spice. 

9. Place beef into the smoker for approximately 2 hours.  It's done when the beef is dry and stiff. 

10. Remove jerky from cooling rack and place in airtight container.  

Good luck and hope you enjoy this recipe.  I must warn you, once you make this, it'll be hard to keep it in stock...especially if your friends and family get a hold of it!

 


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