Smoking jerky is one of the easiest ways to preserve it and keep it from going bad. If you’re anything like us, then you probably want to make sure that your jerky doesn’t go rancid and starts tasting as fresh as possible. When we first heard about people smoking their jerky, we were a bit skeptical.
After all, how could something so soft and juicy become smoky? Well, after some experimenting and reading up on the subject, we’ve found that smoking jerky is one of the best ways to preserve it. If you haven’t already guessed by now, this article is going to cover everything you need to know about smoking jerky.
In this guide, we’ll discuss everything from different types of jerky to how long you should smoke your jerky for.
What is Jerky?
Jerky is any kind of meat that’s been dried. There are different types of jerky, but all of them come from high-quality, fresh meat. You can make jerky from almost any kind of meat, including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, venison, and even seafood.
Why would you want to dry your meat? Because it’s the best way to preserve it. When you dry meat, you remove the water content and reduce the overall volume of the meat. That way, jerky can keep for longer than fresh meat, which is great if you’re planning to store it for longer than just a few months.
Why You Should Smoke Your Jerky
So, you want to preserve your jerky, but you also want to add smoke flavour to the meat. If this is the case, then you should consider smoking your jerky. There are a couple of good reasons why you should smoke jerky.
First of all, smoking is a preservation method that requires far less time than canning or preserving in a dehydrator. With jerky, you can smoke for just as long as you have jerky. Smoking also increases the level of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes present in the meat.
Because it’s been exposed to smoke, the meat is more flavourful and nutritious than it is when it’s raw.
Different Types of Jerky
There are a lot of different ways to create jerky, but they generally fall into two categories: dry jerky and wet jerky. Dry jerky is usually tender cuts of meat that’s been salted and then dehydrated. Wet jerky, on the other hand, is usually an Asian-style jerky that’s been marinated in a sweet and sour sauce.
If you have the time, you can try making your own jerky by drying and salting your own meat. But, if you’re short on time, then you should consider investing in pre-made jerky. There are a variety of jerky types on the market, including beef jerky, venison jerky, and even fish jerky.
How to Smoke Jerky in a Smoker
If you want to smoke your jerky, you’ll need to use a smoker. Fortunately, the best smokers can easily smoke jerky. To get started, you’ll want to cut your jerky into small pieces. Make sure that they’re smaller than 2 inches in length, as this will make them easier to smoke.
Next, you should salt your jerky. Salt draws water out of meat, which will make it easier to dry it out. It’s also a good preservative, which will help to preserve the flavour of your jerky. Once your jerky is fully salted, you can add your jerky to your smoker, where you’ll let it smoke for an hour.
How Long to Smoke Jerky for
After you’ve added your jerky to the smoker, you should let it smoke for an hour. There are, however, a few things that you should keep in mind. First of all, you should make sure that your smoker is at the right temperature before you smoke. If you let it get too hot, it will make your jerky taste burnt.
You should also make sure that the airflow in your smoker is turned off. This will help to reduce the amount of smoke that gets into your jerky. You should also make sure that you add enough wood to your smoker to keep it burning for the entire hour. You want to make sure that your jerky gets the smoke flavour that it’s after. You can use any type of wood to smoke your jerky, including fruit woods like apple, cherry, or apricot woods.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has provided you with all the information that you need to get started smoking jerky. If you’re ready to make jerky, then you’ve come to the right place. There are a lot of great brands of jerky on the market, and you’re sure to find a brand that you like. With so many different kinds of jerky on the market, you’ll be able to find one that suits your tastes. We hope that smoking your jerky is one of the best ways to preserve it!
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