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[Ssteppe]

My daughter (and I) love Slim Jims, but I'm not ready to mess with casings, so I bought a jerky gun.
Started with 1 lb of 93% lean ground beef. The seasoning packet that came with the jerky gun didn't smell too good, and the cure packet had hardened into granite. I tried using a mortar and pestle, then gave up and threw it out. Instead, I mixed up my own:
1 tsp   salt
1 tsp   paprika
1/2 tsp   ground black pepper
1/2 tsp   ground mustard
1/2 tsp   garlic powder
1/2 tsp   cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp   pink cure #1

Thoroughly combined, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in ziplock bag.
Refrigerated overnight.

Kneaded again today, then used the round tip on the jerky gun, shooting onto Frog mats.
Put my smoking tube loaded with hickory into the turned off grill and smoked for 4 hours.
Temp in grill hovered around 95-100 F.
Then I turned grill on and smoked at 180 F for an hour.

Plunged into ice water, then dried and stored in fridge.

I was pleasantly surprised at my first effort.
My fears were: A lot of fat rendering, not holding their shape, falling apart, etc.
None of that happened. I guess the 93% lean beef plus low temps were the key.
They held together well - even have a little bite to it, much like Slim Jims.

I might tweak the recipe, but the basic steps worked first time out.

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[Bar-B-Lew]

That is awesome.  I need to make some on of these weekends.  I think the low heat cook does the trick from what I have read.

[yorkdude]

Very nice, they look great . Pretty neat that your daughter likes to help.

[Canadian John]

 Great -  look like "Slim Jims" to me. Are you sure they aren't? 

[Ssteppe]

Very nice, they look great . Pretty neat that your daughter likes to help.

Actually, she's 27 and lives in another town, but I promised to make her some. 

I had 8 long strips cut into 3 sticks each. 1 lb of 93% lean ground beef is 680 calories / 24 sticks = 28 calories per stick and a little over 1 gram of fat.
So they're healthier than Slim Jims too.

[Bobitis]

I use a 'gun' also. Imho, don't bother with trying the 'strip' style tip. The round is much better.

I just use a packaged mix for mine and add ground pork to the mix. I doubt you'll see any amount of fat dripping from the sticks using the method you did. I also don't see the need for casings. Makes no sense to me for such a small product. Sausage? Sure. The 'snap' is over rated and FAR too much work.

I'm not a calorie watcher, but the addition of the pork creates a new variable in the texture and flavor.

YMMV

[Bentley]

In my best Macho Man voice...The Cream will rise to the top...sooo I love Slim Jims, how close is this recipe...

The Macho Man

[Ssteppe]

In my best Macho Man voice...The Cream will rise to the top...sooo I love Slim Jims, how close is this recipe...

The Macho Man

I'll buy a Slim Jim tonight and compare. 

[Bentley]

Thanks!

[Ssteppe]

In my best Macho Man voice...The Cream will rise to the top...sooo I love Slim Jims, how close is this recipe...

The Macho Man

Ok, bought an original Slim Jim and cut it to the same length as my beef sticks. Diameter very similar.
Have to bite through the Slim Jim casing - mine has a "bite", but no casing.
Slim Jim is greasier and more yellow. If you like it more greasy, you could add pork as per Bobitis suggestion.
I'll increase the cayenne pepper next time to 3/4 teaspoon, or you might even go 1 teaspoon if you like the spicy Slim Jims.
Mine has more smoke flavor.

Ingredients in Slim Jim: Beef, pork, mechanically separated chicken, water, textured soy flour, corn syrup, salt, natural flavors, dextrose, paprika, hydrolyzed soy protein, lactic acid starter culture, caramel color, malt extract, wheat flour, sodium nitrite, citric acid, soy lecithin, extractives of paprika.

You can detect the soy and wheat flour - gives it a kind of mealy texture.

My sticks - beef and seasonings with a little nitrite.

Slm Jim on bottom:

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[reubenray]

Are these easier or harder to do than jerky?  Also how long will they last in either the refrigerator or freezer?

One more question - what is the purpose of putting them in ice water?

[Ssteppe]

Are these easier or harder to do than jerky?  Also how long will they last in either the refrigerator or freezer?

One more question - what is the purpose of putting them in ice water?

A little easier than jerky, but neither one is a big deal. For jerky, I freeze a trimmed (of fat) eye of round roast for about 90 minutes, then slice around 1/4" thick, marinade for a couple of days, then smoke for a couple of hours at 180 F. (I don't use cure in my jerky).

Ice water: Since the beef sticks started out as ground beef, and I'm using cure #1, I wanted to cool them as quickly as possible, then refrigerate. Should keep for a few weeks in the fridge. Freezing will keep for months.

[Bentley]

Thank you for doing this...I think that one ingredient is the one flavor I am always missing, as it basically ferments the meat!

...lactic acid starter culture...