Homemade Smoked Beef Sticks
Making your own smoked beef sticks at home is one of the most rewarding smoker projects you can take on, giving you full control over every ingredient for a superior shelf-stable snack.
Equipment
- Smoker Pellet grill, electric, or offset capable of holding 130-180°F
- Kitchen scale For accurate measurement of meat and curing salt
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment Or a large bowl for hand-mixing
- Sausage stuffer or jerky gun For filling casings
- 19-21mm collagen casings Standard snack-stick size
- Digital instant-read meat thermometer
- Wire cooling racks and sheet pans
- Large bowl or container For the ice bath
Ingredients
For the Beef Sticks
- 5 lbs lean ground beef 85/15 or 90/10
- 1 tsp Prague Powder #1 Also called Instacure #1 or pink curing salt. Do not omit.
- 3 tbsp non-fat dry milk powder Acts as a binder
- 3 tbsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 19-21mm collagen casings As needed
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients: Prague Powder #1, non-fat dry milk powder, kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder. This ensures the curing salt is evenly distributed.
- Place the cold ground beef in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Add the blended dry seasonings and the cold water.
- Using the paddle attachment on low speed (or mixing vigorously by hand), mix the meat for 5-10 minutes. The mixture is ready when it becomes very sticky and fibrous. This protein extraction is key to the final texture.
- Load the meat mixture into your sausage stuffer or jerky gun. Slide a collagen casing onto the nozzle and stuff the mixture into the casings, avoiding air pockets. Do not overstuff. Twist into links of your desired length (6-8 inches is typical).
- Arrange the stuffed beef sticks in a single layer on wire racks set over sheet pans. Place them uncovered in the refrigerator to cure for at least 12 hours, or overnight. This step is crucial for the cure to work and for the casings to dry, which helps smoke adhere.
- Preheat your smoker to 130°F. Hang the beef sticks from smoker racks or lay them on wire mesh shelves, ensuring they don't touch.
- Smoke for 1 hour at 130°F. Then, increase the smoker temperature to 140°F and smoke for another hour.
- Increase the temperature to 150°F and continue to smoke for 2 hours.
- Finally, increase the temperature to 175°F and smoke until the internal temperature of the beef sticks reaches 155°F, as measured with an instant-read thermometer. This can take 1-2 more hours.
- Immediately transfer the finished beef sticks to a large ice bath to stop the cooking process and help set the casings. Chill for about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the sticks from the ice bath, pat them dry with paper towels, and hang them at room temperature for 1-2 hours to 'bloom'. This step develops their final color and firms up the texture.
- Cut the sticks to your desired length. Store in a vacuum-sealed bag in the refrigerator for several weeks or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Curing salt (Prague Powder #1) is essential for food safety in this recipe, as the low-temperature smoking process holds the meat in the food safety danger zone (40°F-140°F) for several hours. Do not substitute with any other type of salt.