Recipe Honey Tequila Lime Beef Jerky

[The Late Night Gourmet]

This followed the same process as my previous beef jerky recipe, but the seasoning was different. The extra honey tempered the spiciness, giving it a rounded flavor. The tequila and lime notes are subtle, but noticeable.

Ingredients

2 pounds top round beef, trimmed of fat
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 ounces tequila
2 limes, juiced (about 2 ounces of lime juice)
3 tablespoons honey
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon dried chipotle pepper, ground (or similar dried pepper)

Directions

1. Trim any bits of fat off the beef. Place beef in a plastic zipper bag. Freeze for about 2 hours or until flesh is firm, but not rock hard. Allow to thaw in refrigerator if it’s too frozen.

2. Slice in thin, uniform pieces, around 1/8” (3 mm) thick. I used a deli meat slicer.

3. Mix remaining ingredients together thoroughly, heating honey in the microwave to ensure it combines fully. Pour into a sealable container.

4. Place beef slices in marinade a few pieces at a time, making sure that marinade coats all sides. If pieces are dropped into the marinade in clumps, some pieces won’t be fully marinated. Seal container.

5. Refrigerate beef for at least 12 hours.

6. Discard marinade. Place meat in a single layer on baking sheets lined with paper towels, patting dry to absorb excess liquid. Rest at room temperature while you do the next step.

7. Start heating your smoker. I used a 50/50 blend of apple wood and peach wood chips, along with charcoal briquettes. NOTE: the briquettes provide the heat, while the wood chips provide the flavor.

8. Arrange the meat so it hangs over the rails of the smoking rack. Make sure there is space between the pieces of meat.

9. Every smoker is somewhat different, but the basics involve waiting until the fire in the firebox is reduced such that the briquettes are grey around the edges and the smoke is a steady blueish color (not a billowing white). The temperature of the smoking compartment should be around 165°F (74°C).

10. Make sure to check the firebox periodically to make sure it's still going. Add wood chips and stoke the fire if needed.

11. Cook until the beef is leathery in texture, taking care to not let it get too dry and crumbly. Check periodically starting at about the 3 hour mark, since some pieces will dry more quickly than other. Mine took about 4 hours from the time I started the smoker.

 

[Morning Glory]

Bravo! Its great to see the process.