Beef sticks should be kept at temperatures below 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The truth is that most smokers will not be able to do so. It might be a difficult chore to use a charcoal smoker, so we recommend an electric smoker, which has a low-temperature range and is ideal for cold smoking. A cold smoking kit is available separately for most electric smokers, and it aims to ensure the proper amount of smoke at low temperatures.
So, if you want to try smoky beef sticks, you’ll need to invest in an electric smoker. Another benefit of this sort of smoker is its simplicity of operation at the oven level; select the temperature, close the door, and you’re set.
Except that they don’t produce smoke, an oven or a dehydrator are still handy gadgets. Furthermore, not all food dehydrators are suitable for the preparation of meat, such as beef sticks, but why?
Meat must be cooked at the proper temperature to avoid the growth of bacteria. Some dehydrators do not have a high enough temperature; check whether yours has the necessary temperature range for meat (160 degrees or higher).
The Use Of A Smoker
There are numerous viewpoints on the matter, which is why I will offer you my “universal way.” A meat thermometer will be required to check the internal temperature of the beef sticks.
Preheat the smoker to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, add the beef sticks, plug in the probe, and cook for an hour. Increase the temperature to roughly 120-125 degrees F after this time and leave it there for about 4 hours. Increase the temperature to roughly 170 or even 180 degrees F as the final step, and cook the beef sticks until they achieve an internal temperature of 150 to 160 degrees F. Turn off the smoker after the thermometer reads this temperature (purchase one if you don’t already have one), remove the beef sticks, and let them cool before eating or storing them in the refrigerator.
Use Of The Oven
Cooking in an oven isn’t that different from cooking in a smokehouse. To begin, line the bottom of the oven with aluminum foil (this will make cleaning easier by catching all the grease). After that, preheat the oven to 170 degrees F and bake the beef sticks. Let the oven door ajar for the first hour. You can check whether the beef sticks are done about 3 hours after they begin to cook. They should achieve a temperature of 150 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside. To that purpose, use a good meat thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature and ensure the meat is fully cooked and safe to eat.
Once you’ve finished cooking, either wait for the beef sticks to cool before eating them or wrap some in plastic bags and store them in the fridge or freezer.
