Spicy Beef Jerky in the Smoker

Here’s a great way to make beef jerky. There are many recipes out there for making this in the oven or dehydrator, but we’re going to do it in the smoker. Beef jerky is already a great tasting snack, but with the addition of smoke, we’re taking it over the top!

I’m providing another separate recipe for a sweet beef jerky in “Sweet Beef Jerky in the Smoker” for ease of copying for readers, but all you have to do is remove the cayenne and black pepper from this recipe.

Spicy Beef Jerky in the Smoker

Ingredients

1 pound flank steak (skirt steak in the south)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

1)  Slice the beef into thin slices about 1/4 of an inch thick. Try to keep them uniform so all the meat will cook the same.
Note: Assuming you don’t have a meat slicer sitting on your counter, an old trick I learned a long time ago is to freeze the meat, then slice it with a very sharp knife while it’s still frozen. This makes it much easier to slice it thin and evenly.

2)  Combine all the ingredients together in a -sealable container and mix this up thoroughly.

3)  Add the steak and marinate this for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.

4)  Get the smoker going. I recommend a lighter wood for this such as pecan, oak, or any fruit wood. If you want a stronger smoke flavoring, use mesquite. This is going to take you about 5 hours at 150 to 170 degrees.

5)  Remove the meat from the  marinade and discard the marinade.

6)  Take a sheet of aluminum foil and lay it out on the top grate of your smoker. Give the top surface of the foil a light spray with cooking oil to help keep things from sticking.

7)  Spread the meat out evenly, but leave a little room between slices. Smoke the meat for about 3 hours like this.

8)  Now cover the meat very loosely with another piece of foil. This will allow the moisture to continue to escape, but keep it from burning.

9)  Continue smoking for 1 to 2 hours, but keep an eye on it. It should just start to crack when you bend it, but not break.

Note: For chewier jerky, take it out a little sooner when it’s still a little more pliable.