| Use any muscle meat of your choice. |
You can prepare excellent jerky in your smoker. The product will have a chewy, but not tough, texture and a delicious smoked flavor. Here are some general jerky guidelines. We'll soon be posting specific recipes.
"Jerking" meat is a drying process, not a cooking process. Smoker temperature must be kept high enough to keep the wood smoking, but low enough to dry (not cook) the meat.
Slice, with the grain, into strips of any workable length, and 1/8" to 1/4" thickness.
Lay jerky strips on something that will not let the strips fall through your normal cook grates. The Cookshack Seafood Grill works great.
Regional tastes dictate seasoning of jerky. In Louisiana, where hot foods reign, the favorite seasonings are cayenne pepper and garlic. In New Mexico carne seca seasoned with red chiles is a favorite. Other parts of the country like salt, black pepper, onion and garlic. Experiment until you find what you like.
Smoke for 6 hours at 180ºF.
Recommended wood: hickory |