Description
Savory beef snack sticks with cherry peppers and pepper jack cheese – a protein-packed treat that’s perfect for on-the-go snacking or entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, finely cubed
- 1/4 cup diced cherry peppers (mild or hot)
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon curing salt (Prague Powder #1)
- 1/4 cup ice water
- Collagen casings (21–22mm)
Instructions
- Chill ground beef in the freezer for 30 minutes until partially frozen.
- Combine semi-frozen ground beef with all seasonings and curing salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly but gently to avoid overworking the meat.
- Fold in diced cherry peppers and cubed pepper jack cheese, ensuring even distribution without melting the cheese.
- Transfer mixture to a covered container and refrigerate for 12-24 hours to allow flavors to meld and curing salt to work.
- Prepare sausage stuffer according to manufacturer instructions. Slide collagen casings onto the stuffer tube.
- Fill the stuffer with meat mixture and slowly stuff the casings with consistent pressure.
- Preheat oven or smoker to 170°F (77°C). Place sticks on racks, ensuring they don’t touch.
- Cook at 170°F for 1 hour, then increase to 190°F (88°C) for another hour, and finally to 210°F (99°C) until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Allow to cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Use food-safe gloves for mixing to ensure better control and ingredient distribution.
- For more distinct cheese pockets, use slightly larger cheese cubes (1/4 inch). For integrated cheese flavor, grate the cheese instead.
- If you don’t have a dedicated stuffer, a piping bag with a large round tip can work for smaller batches.
- Use a water pan in your oven or smoker to maintain humidity and prevent case hardening.
- For leaner options, use 90/10 ground beef or substitute half with mushrooms.
- Properly made sticks can last 2-3 weeks refrigerated or 6 months frozen.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Snack
- Method: Smoking/Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ounce
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: beef snack sticks, homemade jerky, pepper jack snack sticks, cherry pepper beef sticks, high protein snack, meat sticks recipe