How to Make Smokin' Snack Sticks, Part 1

I got Zach a smoker for his birthday and for our first venture we decided to make beef snack sticks.

We started with a 3 pound piece of beef chuck.

I trimmed some of the fat off and some of the tougher tendon type grizzle.

Then cut it up into 1 inch cubes.

After that, we ran it through the hand grinder for its first grind. We used the large hole attachment for this grind.

Then we seasoned the meat with Uncle Bucks Snack Sticks Seasoning. There are many different flavor combinations and recipes out there that we are excited to try. This time we played it safe and stuck to a pre-mix pack.

Be sure to weigh your meat after it is trimmed and ground, as the spice mix amounts are determined by weight.

Mix thoroughly. The meat will get sticky and turn a darker red.

Then we ran it through the grinder a second time, this time with the smaller hole attachment. This breaks the meat up into even smaller pieces and helps to evenly distribute the seasonings.

Then we fitted the jerky press with the tube fitting and filled the compartment with the seasoned ground beef.

Then we slid the entire strand of smoked casings onto the tube.

And tied the end into a knot.

Then we squeezed the press and out came a giant strand of snack stick.

We twisted it at even intervals to make the individual links.

And placed it in the refrigerator to cure overnight. Come back on Thursday August 19th, 2010 and I'll tell you about starting the smoker and finishing the sticks.