Beef Jerky recipe

Ingredients:
3 pounds of Flank steak or round steak thin cut (can also buy the thin sliced meat for fajitas) IMPORTANT, meat must be very thin cut and very lean. Do not use thin ribeye, chuck, etc.
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons Sea Salt
2 teaspoons course ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons Tabasco
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup corn syrup
1 can beef broth

Recommended Wood:
Apple

Directions:
Mix all ingredients (except meat) in a large microwave safe bowl to make a brine. Whisk well.Place bowl in microwave on high for 2 minutes, whisk well. Place bowl back in microwave for an additional 2 minutes and repeat until mixture is very hot.Place bowl in refrigerator to cool while preparing meat. Trim the meat of all fat.Slice the meat with the grain, into long strips about 1 to 1 ½ inches wide.Place the strips of meat in a 1-gallon plastic Ziploc bag and pour brine into bag. Move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours best if over night.Remove the meat from the brine and place in a colander in the sink.Squeeze as much liquid as possible from meat.Spread meat out on a foil lined cookie sheet.Sprinkle with pepper flakes and Tabasco sauce. Mix meat around and continue to add pepper flakes and Tabasco so meat is evenly coated.For 3lbs. of meat, about 2 Tablespoons of each is generally enough. You can always add more next time. Smoking:Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees.Prepare the smoker racks with non stick spray. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto the smoker racks being sure not to overlap. (You can also place the meat on several cookie sheets with racks and then just place the cookie sheets with meat in the smoker. Much easier to put in and take out of the smoker)I prefer Apple Wood for jerky. It gives a nice smoke flavor but doesn't over power the meat flavor. Some people prefer a more pronounced smoke flavor and use woods like Hickory. Keep in mind, because the jerky is very thin and cannot be wrapped during the cook, it can be easily over smoked. Be careful.Smoke for 30 minutes at 225 degrees. Reduce the smoker temperature to 170 degrees.Continue to cook for 2 more hours. (To avoid over smoking, at this point the jerky can be finished in an oven at the same temperature and same length of time if desired.)Check for doneness. The jerky is done when it’s dry enough that you can rip off a piece easily, but before it snaps when you bend it. You should see the meat strands when bent.Some pieces may get done sooner than others, depending on the thickness and moisture of the meat.Continue cooking until all pieces are done, checking every hour. Be careful not to overcook. The jerky can be air dried more if needed.
When the jerky is finish cooking, lay out on cookie sheets lined with paper towel to air cool. It is now ready to eat. The longer you leave the jerky laying out to cool the drier it will get, check it often so as not to over dry it.When it reaches the texture you prefer, store it in sealed Ziploc bags. Remove as much air as possible from bags. I usually use qt. bags and put about 10 pieces per bag.Without refrigeration, it will be good for 4–6 months.