How to Use Liquid Smoke in Jerky
The process of making meat jerky is a time honored, traditional way of preserving meat. While traditionally, jerky was made using smoke and the sun, today jerky can be made using liquid smoke and an oven or dehydrator. Jerky can be made from any type of lean meat, including beef, pork, poultry and venison. Recipes for jerky range from simple, smoke-flavored to highly seasoned specialty blends. You can purchase jerky seasonings in a kit or create your own recipes. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 5 lbs. trimmed, lean meat
- Sharp knife
- Salt, pepper and sugar
- Shallow dish
- Meat mallet
- Liquid smoke
- Large saucepan
- Water
- Meat tongs
- Dehydrator or oven
Instructions
-
-
1
Freeze the meat before making jerky to make it easier to slice the meat into thin slices. Slice the meat into quarter-inch strips with the grain.
-
2
Mix together 3 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. pepper and 2 tbsp. sugar in a shallow dish.
-
-
3
Place the strips into the spice mixture, turning to coat each strip. Refrigerate the strips for 24 hours.
-
4
In a shallow bowl, mix equal amounts of liquid smoke and water.
-
5
Use a meat mallet to pound the spices into the meat on both sides. Dip each strip into the liquid smoke mixture.
-
6
Make brine in a large saucepan by combining 1 gallon of water with 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup of salt and 2 tbsp. black pepper. Bring to a boil.
-
7
Boil the strips in the brine until they turn gray. This will take two to three minutes.
-
8
Use tongs to remove the strips from the brine and place in a single layer on dehydrator or oven drying racks.
-
9
Dehydrate the meat for 9 to 24 hours in the dehydrator or in a 150- to 200-degree Fahrenheit oven. Store the dried jerky in clean, covered jars or in plastic zipper type freezer bags.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You can add an additional 1 to 2 tbsp. of liquid smoke to the brine mixture for an even more smoky taste.
Some recipes call for the meat to marinade in a liquid prior to the jerky process. Liquid smoke can be added to most marinades for flavor. Add liquid smoke sparingly and adjust to suit your own taste.
