Jerky

Mesquite Jerky

Mesquite Style Jerky

Mesquite is the loudest wood in the shed, and most mesquite jerky tastes like it — acrid, all smoke and nothing underneath. This one runs a lighter fire than you would give hickory and puts mesquite powder in the rub instead, so the flavor comes from the seasoning rather than from three more hours of heavy smoke. That is also why the dehydrator version still tastes like mesquite, which is not true of most recipes that lean on the wood alone.

• Smoky
• Bold
• Savory

Internal temp

152°F (67°C) before drying

Smoker temp

145-165°F (63-74°C)

What goes in it

• Kosher Salt
• Cure #1
• Brown Sugar
• Mesquite Smoke Powder
• Coarse Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Ancho Chile Powder

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

How it's made

1. Slice meat 1/4" thick against the grain. Partially freezing helps get clean cuts.
2. Weigh the meat AFTER slicing. Everything below is measured off that weight, so weighing the roast beforehand throws the cure off.
3. Mix the salt, cure, brown sugar and all dry seasonings together in a bowl. This is a dry rub — there is no marinade and no liquid.
4. Lay the strips flat and sprinkle half the mixture over the first side. Turn them and sprinkle the rest. Then tumble by hand in a large bowl until every surface is evenly coated.
5. Bag the strips and refrigerate a full 24 hours. Cure penetrates about 1/4" per 24 hours, so thicker strips need longer — give 3/8" strips closer to 28 hours.
6. Lay on smoker racks without overlapping. Do not rinse the rub off.
7. Dry at 160°F for 1 hour to set the surface.
8. Reduce to 145°F and apply light smoke for 3-5 hours. Mesquite is a heavy wood — go lighter on the smoke than you would with hickory or it turns bitter.
9. Jerky is done when it bends and cracks but doesn't break.
10. Dehydrator method: Skip the smoke — dehydrate the strips at 160°F for 4-8 hours until they bend and crack but do not break. If your dehydrator can not reach 160°F, finish the strips in a 275°F oven for about 10 minutes to reach a food-safe 160°F internal temperature (165°F if using poultry). The mesquite powder in the rub carries the smoke flavor on its own, so this method still tastes like mesquite.
11. Store in sealed bags. Keeps 1-2 weeks at room temp, longer in the fridge.

Wood

Mesquite · Oak

Before you start

• How much Cure #1 per pound
• Venison to pork fat ratio