Snack Sticks
Honey Smoke Trail Sticks
Honey BBQ Style Snack Sticks
- Internal temp
- 152°F (67°C)
- Smoker temp
- 130-175°F (54-79°C)
- Casing size
- 19-21 mm
- Casing
- All Natural Sheep Casings
- Bloom
- 1-2 hours
What goes in it
- Kosher Salt
- Cure #1
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
- Paprika
- Brown Sugar
- Honey Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Cumin
- Mustard Powder
- Chili Powder
- Ice Cold Water
Amounts are calculated for your batch weight in the app — including the cure, which is held at a fixed, food-safe rate.
The meat
Lean Wild Game · Lean Beef · Pork Butt · Pork Shoulder
How it's made
- Grind meat through a 1/4" plate.
- Add dry seasonings to ground meat and mix to distribute evenly. This blend layers sweet (honey powder, brown sugar), smoky (smoked paprika), and tangy (mustard powder, chili powder) — that's what makes it BBQ.
- Dissolve cure in ice cold water, then add to meat. Mix until tacky — the meat should feel sticky and cling to your hand.
- Stuff into 19-21mm all natural sheep casings.
- Hang at room temperature for 1-2 hours to bloom. The casings should feel dry to the touch.
- Place in smoker and dry at 130°F for 1 hour with damper open.
- Raise to 150°F and apply heavy smoke for 2-3 hours. The BBQ spice profile can handle heavier smoke — don't be shy with the wood.
- Raise to 175°F until internal temp reaches 152°F. Important: Do not let your smoker exceed 180°F. Even if your smoker is set at or below 180°F, the actual temperature can spike higher — monitor closely.
- Cold shower to stop cooking. The honey and brown sugar flavors intensify after resting overnight in the fridge. (Optional — an ice bath is not required. It is personal preference; many just let them cool at room temp, or outside in cold weather. Just cool them down promptly.)
- If snack sticks are softer than you prefer, hang them in the fridge or a cool dry area for a few days to firm up and dry out to your liking.
Wood
Hickory · Cherry · Oak
Safety
- Keep meat below 40°F during grinding and mixing
- Do not exceed 175°F smoker temperature or fat may render
- Cook to 152°F internal temperature