Dried Beef Step by Step (Great Stuff)

[ibdagriz]

 There was no way it got to 140 in 4 hours as I followed your method each time and it was always so close to my numbers it is scary.

 I'll make dried beef donuts out of the ones that didn't cure all the way thru.. LOL.. Wasn't that much of it, but losing any sucks.

 Griz

 

[Bearcarver]

 
 There was no way it got to 140 in 4 hours as I followed your method each time and it was always so close to my numbers it is scary.

 I'll make dried beef donuts out of the ones that didn't cure all the way thru.. LOL.. Wasn't that much of it, but losing any sucks.

 Griz

Like I said, it never happened to me, so I don't have any notations on what to do if it does.

However if I did have an uncured center, I would change my smoking temps to get it to 140° in under 4 hours.

Then I would slow it down & take my time getting it to 160° before pulling it.

That would make it safe to eat, and still get plenty of extra smoke on it while going from 140° to 160° IT.

Since there isn't much of it, Donuts should be fine.

Bear

 

[captainjosh]

Bear, I know you aren't a fan of it, but, I have some buckboard bacon cure to use up and a backstrap in the fridge. Will that cure theoretically work for dried beef?

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, I know you aren't a fan of it, but, I have some buckboard bacon cure to use up and a backstrap in the fridge. Will that cure theoretically work for dried beef?

Yes, That will work, but if You're talking about "Hi Mountain Cure & Seasoning", make sure you do a Salt-Fry Test after curing, but before smoking, because I only ever used that one time, and it was the only time I ever had to soak my BBB after curing to eliminate extra Salt Flavor.

Bear

 

[slotown]

Bear,

Wasn't too sure about this one so when a marked down roast came available I bought it to see how this might work.  Forgot to take a before picture but after 8 days in the cure and 8 hours in the smoker, this is what it looked like:

WIN_20170204_173053.JPG

• slotown
• Feb 5, 2017

beef2.jpg

• slotown
• Feb 5, 2017

beef3.jpg

• slotown
• Feb 5, 2017

I pulled the meat when the internal temp was 150 degrees.  Rested in the fridge for 24 hours, then sliced at about 1/16th of an inch.

This was really good stuff.  I sliced some smoked cheese and a plate of crackers for dinner tonight.  Very nice.

Next time I will look for that eye of round, but my guess is just about any cut will work well.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Bear,

Wasn't too sure about this one so when a marked down roast came available I bought it to see how this might work.  Forgot to take a before picture but after 8 days in the cure and 8 hours in the smoker, this is what it looked like:

I pulled the meat when the internal temp was 150 degrees.  Rested in the fridge for 24 hours, then sliced at about 1/16th of an inch.

This was really good stuff.  I sliced some smoked cheese and a plate of crackers for dinner tonight.  Very nice.

Next time I will look for that eye of round, but my guess is just about any cut will work well.

Looks Great, Slotown!!

Nice Job, and glad you like it !!

Yes---Any Beef roast will do, but the leaner the better, which is why I recommend Eye Round & Bottom Round. The Cuts that are the toughest work the best for Dried Beef, which I find to be a Good Thing!

Bear

 

[slotown]

Bear,

This is mt 2nd go at this.  The first was a hit.  In fact, my neighbors young boy who brings me eggs tasted a piece and loved it.  I normally barter greek yogurt for my fresh eggs. I was asked to swap to dried beef.  His mother could not get him to eat anything but pizza at school for lunch.  The dried beef flipped him to something way more nutritional.  One whole eye of round is earmarked for that young man 

   He also came over during the prep days and helped with each step.  Hopefully I have just hatched a future smoker.  The good kind of smoker.

beef-1 3-25-17.jpg

• slotown
• Mar 25, 2017

I do have a question that I missed on my 1st go on this dried beef.  Why do you rinse the meat after the smoke?  Would that not be defeating the application of pepper, and garlic/onion salt?  I did not rinse on my last go of this, and really liked the pepper on the edges.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Bear,

This is mt 2nd go at this.  The first was a hit.  In fact, my neighbors young boy who brings me eggs tasted a piece and loved it.  I normally barter greek yogurt for my fresh eggs. I was asked to swap to dried beef.  His mother could not get him to eat anything but pizza at school for lunch.  The dried beef flipped him to something way more nutritional.  One whole eye of round is earmarked for that young man 

   He also came over during the prep days and helped with each step.  Hopefully I have just hatched a future smoker.  The good kind of smoker.

I do have a question that I missed on my 1st go on this dried beef.  Why do you rinse the meat after the smoke?  Would that not be defeating the application of pepper, and garlic/onion salt?  I did not rinse on my last go of this, and really liked the pepper on the edges.

That Young Man sounds like Me at his age!!

I loved Dried Beef way before I owned a Smoker & could make my own.

As a Teenager, I used to take a Baggie full of Dried Beef or Venison Dried Beef in my pocket when I'd go hunting.

As for the rinsing after smoking, I don't always do that, but the stuff was falling off, I think because I put it on a bit too heavy. So to keep the loose stuff from falling all over the place I gave it a rinse, just to remove the stuff that was loose. Most of the seasoning on the surface & what had soaked in was still there after rinsing & patting dry. I didn't rub it off.

Bear

 

[slotown]

14 1/2 hours later, and 158 degrees internal.  Now off to chill for a couple of days.

beef-2 3-25-17.jpg

• slotown
• Mar 25, 2017

 

[Bearcarver]

 
14 1/2 hours later, and 158 degrees internal.  Now off to chill for a couple of days.

Bear

 

[slotown]

 

Bear

How's the corn?

beef-4 3-26-17.jpg

• slotown
• Mar 28, 2017

beef-3 3-26-17.jpg

• slotown
• Mar 28, 2017

Even the end pieces are consumed 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
How's the corn?

Even the end pieces are consumed 

Looks like your pieces were a little too thick for only 8 days in cure.

The center of some of them didn't get cured.

Could have used another 3 days or so.

Other than that, it looks Great.

Bear

 

[natej]

Bookmarked this thread, thankyou for such a thouroughly written up process, will deffo be attempting!

 

[Bearcarver]

Bookmarked this thread, thankyou for such a thouroughly written up process, will deffo be attempting!

That's Great, natej !!

If you run into any questions, just PM me, so I don't miss it.

Bear

 

[philinnm]

Hi Bear, long time no talk.... Hope all is well with you again! Got a question... I'm a little over a mile high, in the dry dry desert. My last 2 smokes I followed directions to a "T", and the last 5 degrees were a bear (pardon the pun) to achieve. My beef all came out too dry, even tho I pulled it at 158 (14 hours). I guess I need to know what's the safest low temp to cure to, so I can get that nice moist stuff like in your pics. When I slice mine, within hours it shows a whitish dryness look on the surface and is kinda too chewy. I've been vac packing it hoping to keep what little moisture is left in there, and storing in the bottom of the fridge till ready to slice. If I slice it today, tomorrow it's not nearly as tasty. I think I need to pull at a lower temp and maybe less time in the smoker? Any ideas?
Thanks,
Phil

 

[Bearcarver]

Hi Bear, long time no talk.... Hope all is well with you again! Got a question... I'm a little over a mile high, in the dry dry desert. My last 2 smokes I followed directions to a "T", and the last 5 degrees were a bear (pardon the pun) to achieve. My beef all came out too dry, even tho I pulled it at 158 (14 hours). I guess I need to know what's the safest low temp to cure to, so I can get that nice moist stuff like in your pics. When I slice mine, within hours it shows a whitish dryness look on the surface and is kinda too chewy. I've been vac packing it hoping to keep what little moisture is left in there, and storing in the bottom of the fridge till ready to slice. If I slice it today, tomorrow it's not nearly as tasty. I think I need to pull at a lower temp and maybe less time in the smoker? Any ideas?
Thanks,
Phil

Well as far as being safe---145° is plenty done, but that wouldn't be Dried Beef.
I don't think it's too long, because commercial outfits cook it for 30 hours or more.
14 hours is a long time at a higher temp though.

Maybe try this:
140° for 4 hours.
Then go right to 190° or even 200°.
Pull at 155° to 160° IT.

Bear

 

[philinnm]

Thanks. will try. It just got too dry. I'm like you, I like it a little moist to make sammies and stuff from. Think I'll take the over dried stuff and make some dried beef cheeseballs to give as presents. Should disappear come superbowl.... I think a lot of it is we're in severe drought, no moisture now for over 100 days, and humidity is teens and thereabouts. I could just hang it out in the sun and it'd be jerky in a matter of hours!
Thanks again!

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks. will try. It just got too dry. I'm like you, I like it a little moist to make sammies and stuff from. Think I'll take the over dried stuff and make some dried beef cheeseballs to give as presents. Should disappear come superbowl.... I think a lot of it is we're in severe drought, no moisture now for over 100 days, and humidity is teens and thereabouts. I could just hang it out in the sun and it'd be jerky in a matter of hours!
Thanks again!

These are loved by many:
Dried Beef Roll-ups


Bear

 

[Ed Crain]

Bear you have me slobbering but my question would be the Yoder starts at 180 as the guys I work with always tells me I have the wrong smoker so I’m curious as how to proceed with the dried beef might use the bge to get to 140 starting temp