Please refer to this post for mainline recipe and direction. Any deviations I made are mentioned below: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/93718/smoked-dried-beef-with-lots-of-qview
With the price of dried beef exceeding $10/lb around here, I decided that some homemade from 2.80/lb eye round was in order. Now unlike Bearcarver, I grew up on dried beef in gravy, or SOS. I have perfected the art of making good chipped beef gravy, so this was my main focus. Also, dried beef + cream cheese 'rollups'. After having done the TQ bacon method, I was confident the Bearcarver way would be top notch. I wasn't disappointed!
First I picked up a nice 6 lb eye round roast on sale for $2.80/lb. Got it home, trimmed it and 1/4'ed the roast. I had about 3" thick pieces.
I then measured out my TQ to Morton's recommendations and rubbed them while in ziptop bags to avoid the mess. I kept them in the bag for the entire curing process. I only kneeded them about once every other day. I did a total of 12 days of cure. Took them out and soaked in water for an hour. I then placed on a wire rack and into the garage fridge for about 7 days to dry. I was in the process of modding my smoker and wanted to get that done before smoking the beef. Finally got a chance to do that this past Sunday. I smoked with cherry for about 8 hours at 130-140. Then finished in an 180 oven to 158 IT.
The rind was a bit tough, like jerky due to the extensive time drying. The taste is out of this world! The wife souldn't stop 'sampling' it and the dog was going nuts too! But I suceeded in getting most of it sliced and sealed. Look forward to the first gravy breakfast!
Thanks for looking!
With the price of dried beef exceeding $10/lb around here, I decided that some homemade from 2.80/lb eye round was in order. Now unlike Bearcarver, I grew up on dried beef in gravy, or SOS. I have perfected the art of making good chipped beef gravy, so this was my main focus. Also, dried beef + cream cheese 'rollups'. After having done the TQ bacon method, I was confident the Bearcarver way would be top notch. I wasn't disappointed!
First I picked up a nice 6 lb eye round roast on sale for $2.80/lb. Got it home, trimmed it and 1/4'ed the roast. I had about 3" thick pieces.
I then measured out my TQ to Morton's recommendations and rubbed them while in ziptop bags to avoid the mess. I kept them in the bag for the entire curing process. I only kneeded them about once every other day. I did a total of 12 days of cure. Took them out and soaked in water for an hour. I then placed on a wire rack and into the garage fridge for about 7 days to dry. I was in the process of modding my smoker and wanted to get that done before smoking the beef. Finally got a chance to do that this past Sunday. I smoked with cherry for about 8 hours at 130-140. Then finished in an 180 oven to 158 IT.
The rind was a bit tough, like jerky due to the extensive time drying. The taste is out of this world! The wife souldn't stop 'sampling' it and the dog was going nuts too! But I suceeded in getting most of it sliced and sealed. Look forward to the first gravy breakfast!
Thanks for looking!
