Homemade for the Holidays: Smoked Teriyaki Jerky

The holidays are packed with savory and sweet creations. To shake things up a little, this one is almost entirely made of meat. Making your own teriyaki jerky isn’t tough. All you need are a handful of ingredients and some free time amid the gift wrapping and holiday movie watching. Get the directions and a list of ingredients below the how-to video.

Ingredients

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup mirin or sweet cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 coins fresh ginger (each ¼-inch thick)...or 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds beef or wild game (top or bottom round, sirloin tip, or flank steak)

Directions

Combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic, onion powder, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice your meat ¼-inch thick. Cut against the grain. This is easier to do if the meat is slightly frozen. Trim the fat and connective tissue.

Add the meat slices to a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag. Massage the bag so all the slices are coated in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to smoke the meat, start your Traeger or other smoker with the lid open. Remove the meat from the marinade and line 2 cookie sheets with paper towels. Arrange the beef on the lined cookie sheets. Pat dry with fresh paper towels.

Add the meat to the smoker (with the lid open) and leave on low for 4-5 hours or until the jerky is dry but still pliable. The jerky should tear apart easily.

Transfer the jerky to a new, re-sealable plastic bag and let it rest for an hour at room temperature. Squeeze the air out of the bag and keep the jerky in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy it.