Beef Jerky -on the Pellet Grill this time

(Reenactment of taking jerky off the grill)

After successfully making jerky in an air fryer/toaster oven/dehydrator, I decided to try making smoked jerky on a pellet grill (which replaced our gas grill that was damaged in a tornado). I used the same sauce as the previous batches- Worcestershire sauce, pineapple juice, garlic powder, onion powder, chive salt, black pepper, pepper salt. I also made a separate batch with commercial teriyaki sauce. It turned out much better than in the oven. 

The second batch on the pellet grill, I tried to use what I have learned so far to make it easier. First, I put the meat in the freezer for a few hours to make it easier to slice. I wish I could find a grocery store that would slice it for me- that would be even easier. Next, I marinated the meat in a ziploc bag instead of a container with a lid. With the bag, it had less surface area exposed to air, needed less marinade, and cleanup was easier. I also used grill liner mesh pans to cook the jerky on. It prevented the jerky from falling through the grill. It was simple to pre-load the trays indoors while the grill was starting. I didn't have to open the grill lid for very long when I put the trays on, so I didn't lose as much heat and smoke.

When the jerky was done I could have brought the whole mesh trays in, maybe on a cookie sheet. Instead, I just used tongs to transfer the jerky to a bowl and left the mesh trays outside until they cooled. Then I washed them in the dishwasher. There is a risk of tarnishing aluminum if you wash it in the dishwasher, but these pans are semi-disposable so I didn't care. The grill manufacturer recommended using the kind of racks for cooling cookies, but those were more expensive with non-stick coatings, and none of the ones I found actually said they were safe for baking. 

The grill liner mesh pans can be purchased through Amazon, although they are cheaper from Walmart. Here's my Amazon Affiliate link for the mesh pans: https://amzn.to/3nlMOXs 

and for the pellet grill: https://amzn.to/3yTYuHg