does anyone out htere know of a good buffalo jerky recipe? would like to do it on a smoker. i have a roast that i want to experiment with. TIA

This is a venison recipe but should work for anything.
It is not EASY, but it consistenly makes the best jerky I've ever had. People show up in crowds when this starts to smoke (but they bring beer so that is ok).

What you need:

-Tub to soak the jerky in a brine mixture.
-Table or other area to layout the strips before stringing
-Wax string or nylon twine (strong enough not to break under the weight of the wet jerky, but thin enough to be threaded on an upholstry needle)
-Somewhere to hang the jerky for 3 days while it dries
(I am lucky enough to have an enclosed barn)
-Someone to help you hang the jerky (it takes at least 2)
-A smoker where you can layout a sufficient amount of jerky (I use a friend's pit/trailer 3 by 6 feet of grill, but I make a LOT at one time.)


Trim the meat into 1/4 to 1/2" strips - lenght is not important but the longer the better when you get to the hanging step. You want to be careful to remove any sinew, connective tissue, and fat.

Place the strips in a container large enought to hold the meat (covered with water) that you can stir easily.

Using gallons, cover the meat with water. The strips will swell a bit so make sure they are well covered.

For each gallon of water it took to cover the meat add:
1 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 T ground black pepper
(none of these are exact measures. Feel free to experiment with other ingredients after you master the basic recipe )

Soak in this brine for 3 full days, stiring well 2 times a day. Try to time this so you have cold weather, otherwise you will have to find refrigerator space -- this makes wives very angry.

Remove the jerky from the brine and drain well. Lay the strips out on a table and sprinkle well with cracked black pepper (you really can't get too much because a lot will fall off during handling)

Hang the jerky on nylon twine or waxed string making sure the strips are close together but not touching.

Thread the meat onto strings so that they hang vertically (for space) ensuring that gravity won't pull the string through the strip when it hangs. Trial and error will tell you how many strips to put on each string so you don't have too many (touching-bad) or too few (more strings-ok).

Obviously you need to hang the strings of meat out of the reach of cats, etc. Hang time is usually about 3 days. (Temperature should not get above 60F for the first day or two to prevent possible spoilage). If the strips are too wet, it takes extra time on the smoker to get them dry. If they are too dry, they don't take enough smokey flavor.

Remove the jerky from the twine (I use paper grocery bags to hold it before and after smoking so it can continue to 'breathe')

Smoke over your choice of wood for 2-4 hours or until the smaller strips are fairly dry.
Smoker temp should be 175 - 250F and smoking time will vary accordingly. There needs to be good air flow through the smoker since this also completes the drying.

The jerky is best right off the smoker, but will keep for weeks just in a paper bag. As it dries completely, you will notice salt crystals on the outside. To store longer (hehe never had any left to store) put it in ziploc bags and freeze.

Like I said, this is not easy and definately not for those unwilling to invest some time. However, if you can master this, you will be a Jerky Hero with your family and friends.

I have been making jerky this way for 15 years and time and again I've had people tell me that this is the best jerky they have ever tasted. I've never had any trouble finding friends to help with the process. This year we made 3 full paper grocery bags of deer jerky and will be starting our second run soon.