Snack sticks are a great way to enjoy the best of both worlds. They’re made from tasty, crunchy meat, and they’re smoked for that delicious BBQ flavor! Here’s how to make snack sticks in a smoker, so you can start making them right now.
Making homemade meat snack sticks is an easy and delicious process. They’re perfect for dipping in sauces, for snacking on with some crackers or vegetables, and they can be used as part of salads or sandwiches too!
The only tricky part is getting the internal temperature just right so that it’s safe to eat without any risk of food-borne illnesses. Luckily there are several hacks you can use to get your pellet smoker up to the correct temperature quickly. So don’t let anything stop you from making these tasty treats at home.
If you’ve never had snack sticks before, then it’s time to learn about this classic American treat. Made by combining ground beef and spices together into long strips before smoking them over low heat for hours on end. These delectable snacks have been popular since the 1930s when they were first introduced at state fairs throughout America.
How to Make Snack Sticks in a Smoker?
Let’s get started right away!
1. Step One
The first step to making snack sticks in a smoker is to make sure you have all of the necessary ingredients. You will need:
- Ground beef
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dry mustard
- Cayenne pepper or paprika (to add more flavor)
- Garlic powder, and
- Onion powder
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2. Step Two
Take your ground meat and mix it with suitable quantities of seasoning listed above before kneading for about five minutes until the mixture becomes sticky. There is no rule of thumb in determining the exact quantities of spices used in the recipe. Everyone should add these things following their taste and preferences.
Next form sixteen strips out of this mixture by rolling them into long thin rolls that are approximately two inches thick. Consequently, they can be put into the dehydrator later on down the line; once these are done get ready for step three!
3. Step Three
Now you want to prepare an aluminum foil tray with a wire cooling rack or metal grate on top. To do this, tear off half about 16 square feet of foil, and fold it in half to create an eight-by-sixteen-inch surface. Then place the grid over one end of the other side so that you can open up your foil into a long rectangle which is now ready for cooking!
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4. Step Four
Next, take two sheets of paper towels per strip that were made earlier; these will be used during preparation and later on when they are finished smoking as well. Once you have them cut out, get ready for step five!
5. Step Five
The fifth step to making snack sticks in the smoker is drying the meat before putting it onto the grill/smoker. This process should take place for about nine hours or until the meat has shrunk by at least 50%.
6. Step Six
Now you are ready to prepare your smoker. You will need a heat source, wood chips of some sort, and aluminum foil that is cut into two-inch squares to line the bottom tray. Then put it on top of the grid created earlier which should still be open. Now get ready for step seven!
7. Step Seven
The seventh step is fairly straightforward because all you have to do is put one piece of raw bacon onto each square with an additional patty made from ground beef before placing them over indirect heat without any smoke. This process should take around four hours so get comfy while waiting for deliciousness later on down the line!
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8. Step Eight
The eighth step is to take your bacon and ground beef patties off of the smoker. Let them cool for a moment before placing them on top of paper towels. This will ensure that they get soaked up, so you can use them as an additional means of flavoring later down the line in steps nine, ten, and eleven.
Once cooled, place these slices into the dehydrator, which should have been prepped earlier on during step three until they are done being dried out.
9. Step Nine
Now that your meat has finished drying put one sheet per strip onto any type of food-safe surface like aluminum foil or waxed paper while keeping them about two inches apart from one another. This process should take about two hours or until the meat is completely dried out.
10. Step Ten
When your meat has finished drying it will be time to put them into a smoker for at least three hours with less than thirty percent humidity to make sure they are cooked through and tasty. Now get ready for step eleven!
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11. Step Eleven
Finally, you want to place all the strips on top of one another while alternating flavors from bacon/beef patties to cheese cubes before rolling it up into a snack stick bundle.
The bundle can then be cut off every couple of inches so that each piece makes its miniature snack sticks. You now have delicious snack sticks made by following these easy steps which everyone will enjoy!
Conclusion
You now know how to make snack sticks with a smoker and I hope this guide was helpful for you.
The reason why it is so important to follow these steps carefully is that the process of preparing them takes time, patience, and most important preparation to ensure that everything goes smoothly which will result in delicious snacks!
Once all the necessary steps have been completed you will be able to enjoy your snack sticks!