Cherry Habanero Jerky
With a sweet splash of cherry soda and some spicy heat from habanero peppers, this Cherry Habanero Jerky on the smoker won't last for long.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 2-3 pound eye of round roast thin sliced against the grain
Dr. Pepper Jalapeno Marinade
- 2 cups cherry soda Big Red or Code Red
- 2 habanero peppers sliced
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the marinade. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by half. You should have just over a cup of marinade. Chill the marinade completely.2 cups cherry soda, 2 habanero peppers, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons Kosher salt, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Marinate the beef. Transfer the sliced beef to a gallon sized zip top bag and pour in the marinade. Massage the marinade into the meat and refrigerate for 8-12 hours, or overnight.1 2-3 pound eye of round roast
- Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker or oven to approximately 170 degrees F. I recommend cherry for this recipe.
- Smoke the meat. Remove the meat from the marinade and dry each strip thoroughly by laying on paper towels or patting dry. Transfer the strips to the grill grate, jerky rack, or cooling rack and smoke/cook for 2-3 hours (depending on the thickness of your slices, some thicker pieces can take 4-5 hours). Check often after the first hour to be sure your jerky is drying evenly. You are looking for jerky that is firm and still slightly pliable, but not soft. If you bend your jerky and it breaks, you've cooked it a little too long.
- Steam and enjoy. Place the finished jerky in a gallon zip top bag while it is still warm. Don't seal closed all the way. The jerky will steam in the bag slightly and this step will make the jerky moist. The jerky will last 3-4 days on the counter or 2 weeks in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 1879mg | Potassium: 628mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 4mg