FIVE-POUND SMOKED JERKY / CURE #1 STANDARD
Record: DAT-0021 / Revision A
Status: Canonical current standard; flavor profile needs one confirmation cook

IMPORTANT
Use only curing salt labeled Prague Powder #1 or Insta Cure #1 with 6.25% sodium nitrite.
This is not Morton Tender Quick, Cure #2, Himalayan pink salt, or an unidentified pink product.
Weigh the cure. Do not scale or substitute curing formulas by volume.

INGREDIENTS FOR 5 LB BEEF
5 lb lean beef, trimmed and sliced 1/8–3/16 inch thick
5.7 g Prague Powder #1, weighed on a 0.1-g scale
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp coarse black pepper
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper; reduce for mild
2 1/2 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
1 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2–1 1/4 tsp cayenne
Optional: 2 tsp mustard powder

METHOD
1. Weigh trimmed meat and calculate Cure #1 at 0.25% of actual meat weight.
2. Mix cure uniformly into all marinade ingredients before adding the meat.
3. Coat every strip and refrigerate 18–24 hours at 40°F or below, turning several times.
4. Drain and blot lightly. Arrange in one layer with airflow between strips.
5. Smoke around 150–160°F. Use a validated lethality step: beef must reach 160°F internal
   before or early in drying unless the process is independently validated for safety.
6. Check thin pieces around 2 1/2–3 hours. Total time commonly runs 3–6 hours; remove pieces as finished.
7. Cool a test strip 5–10 minutes. It should bend with surface cracks without snapping or squeezing moisture.
8. Cool completely before packaging. Refrigerate or freeze conservatively unless water activity is measured.

OPTIONAL FINISH
Per finished pound, toss while barely warm with 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
Add cayenne only if wanted. Never add more curing salt after smoking.