This recipe comes from the “Into the Smoke” chapter of our newest book release—The MeatEater Outdoor Cookbook: Wild Game Recipes for the Grill, Smoker, Campstove, and Campfire. To purchase a copy of the book,click here.

This jerky recipe is reliable and tasty, with just a hint of heat. It’s not full of ghost peppers or other gimmicks that will turn kids off or make it hard to enjoy more than a bite or two. If you do want more heat, ramp up the cayenne.

Take note that this recipe uses pink curing salt, which should not be confused with pink Himalayan salt. Pink salt #1 (also known as Prague powder #1) is a curing salt that is used in curing hard and semisoft sausages, bacon, ham, pastrami, and corned beef. It inhibits harmful bacteria growth and adds a pink appearance to cured meats, which in combination with the smoke, makes this jerky extremely resistant to spoilage.

If you’re planning on eating the jerky pretty quickly and have concerns about the nitrates and nitrites in the curing salt, substitute with ½ cup of kosher salt.

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1. Move the meat from the freezer to the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours or until it’s just beginning to thaw. Slice while partially frozen into thin pieces, about ¼-inch thick with the grain. (If you slice across or against the grain, the jerky will be crumbly rather than having the ideal chew factor.) Transfer the meat to a baking sheet.
2. In a flat, nonreactive baking dish, combine the cola, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, hot sauce, cloves, and pink curing salt. Submerge the meat into the marinade, toss to coat, and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
3. The next day, remove from the marinade and pat it dry between layers of paper towels. Combine the ancho chile, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Prepare a baking sheet with several layers of freezer paper. Dust the meat lightly with the mixture on both sides and lay it out on layers of freezer paper on the baking sheet.
4. Set up your smoker. For wood chips, fruitwoods produce the mildest flavor, but oak will work as well. Preheat the smoker to 165°F. Transfer the meat from the freezer paper to a rack in the smoker, being sure to leave room between the slices of meat. It’s important to maintain a temperature between 165°F and 200°F when dehydrating or smoking the jerky.
5. After 2 hours, check the texture. The goal is to smoke the jerky until the meat is pliable and leathery, but not overly dry and brittle. It should crack and bend a little but not break easily into small pieces. Continue checking the texture every 15 to 30 minutes, pulling any thinner pieces that might have finished before the thicker ones. The whole process can take up to 4 hours depending on ambient humidity, the consistency of your smoker temp, and how thinly you cut your meat.
6. Remove finished pieces to cool and store them in a resealable or vac-sealed bag. If you used the Prague powder, the jerky can be stored at room temperature. If you didn’t, store in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year.