Commentary by Beth Politsch
Recipe by Jay Mathiesen

For me, beef jerky conjures up memories of car trips as a kid. Since we always drove to our vacation desinations, whether it was Prince Edward Island or the Rocky Mountains, Mom and Dad would pack a cooler full of pop, sandwiches and peaches and a backpack with snacks, like cheese and crackers and, of course, salty, chewy beef jerky.

So when Jay stoked up a smoker a few weeks ago and announced he had thin-sliced brisket and marinated it all night in spicy jerky seasoning, I was ready to once again sink my teeth into one of my favorite childhood snacks. Little did I know, it would be a million times better than what I remembered.

As Jay demonstrates here, making your own jerky is surprisingly simple, and much more economical than buying it at the store. Plus, jerky is much more versatile these days, than it was back when my family was popping the trunk at scenic overlooks. Now you can make jerky with lots of different types of meats, like turkey, chicken, salmon and more, with a variety of delicious seasonings.

Jay’s Smoked Beef Jerky Steps:

1. You can use a whole brisket or a flat. Slice pieces 1/4″ thick with the grain of the meat. This works best with a partially frozen brisket.

2. Marinate over night in jerky seasonings. Backyard Bash carries the LEM brand, with flavors like hot, original, hickory and mesquite.

3. Using an LEM jerky hanger, Jay skewered his slices and hung them.

4. Smoke for 4 hours or to your desired texture or dryness.

Another way to make jerky:

Use a jerky gun (yup, Backyard Bash has those, too) to turn ground meat into tubes or strips of delicious jerky. Our jerky guns come with two different nozzles and a Backwoods Jerky Seasoning packet to get you started. You’ll also need a jerky grid pan, which will keep air circulating around your meat and reduce drying time while it’s in the smoker or oven!

Want to grind your own meat? Backyard Bash also carries LEM meat grinders!