Beef Bacon Questions

[talan64]

I have a few questions about making Beef Bacon.  I have a friend who does not eat pork at all (stomach issues not religious), and I thought I would make him some beef bacon.

First question:

What cut of beef would one use to make into bacon?

2nd question:

Any special concerns about using beef as opposed to pork for the bacon?

3rd question:

would it be better to warm/hot smoke beef bacon, as opposed to a cold smoke?

4th:

I have used both dry cure, and Pop's brine, and like the lower salt you can get with Pop's, is this ok for beef?

Thanks, to anyone that may have some answers and any other suggestions you have for beef bacon.

 

[pc farmer]

WOW.  Never thought of beef bacon.    I am sure it wont be even close to the same.

Beef fat is a bit differant.

 

[woodcutter]

Here is a link to Curley's Sausage Kitchen. They have a kit for formed bacon which says you can use pork or beef. I have made it with pork and it tastes like bacon, not as good as real bacon but pretty good. You grind your meat and mix the seasonings in. Refrigerate overnight in in square pans about 2" high and dump onto your smoker shelf. After it is smoked you can slice it like bacon. I remember a guy used it for bear last fall and said he liked it.

http://curleyssausagekitchen.com/Seasonings/Smoked-Seasonings/

 

[daveomak]

would it be better to warm/hot smoke beef bacon, as opposed to a cold smoke?


Since fats start to melt in the 80 degree zone, I prefer cold smoking, under 70 or so, to retain the integrity of the meat.... I like the texture better.... I used to warm smoke bacon at 130 ish but have since changed.... I think for the better... 70 or less with 4-6 hours hickory in the AMNPS... used to use Pitmasters Choice but the hickory just adds something to the bacon....

You will get probably 20 different answers here which is OK..... We all have our preferences and none are wrong...

Melting point (Lard)
backfat: 30–40 °C (86–104 °F)
leaf fat: 43–48 °C (109–118 °F)
mixed fat: 36–45 °C (97–113 °F

 

[tc fish bum]

there is a butcher here in traverse city who does it. makes it out of brisket,,,, with that being said its great, just not bacon. apples to oranges. really really good though

 

[talan64]

You will get probably 20 different answers here which is OK..... We all have our preferences and none are wrong...

I hope I do get 20 different answers.....I figured I'd take all suggestions, and glean what I can from them and make an educated decision on how to make mine. I.E. cut of meat, smoke etc.

Everyone has their own opinion and taste, so there is no "bad" information I can get from this.

 

[zztop]

I've bought a few packages of "beef bacon" from  a place in Ontario. Just ended up tasting like corned beef/pastrami.  It wasn't bad, it just wasn't bacon.  

 

[Bearcarver]

Talan,

Somebody mentioned "Formed Bacon" above.

Here is an "All Beef" Formed loaf that gets cut into slices like Bacon. It doesn't taste like Bacon, but if you fry it, it's even more Awesome than when it was just sliced & eaten after smoking it to a safe internal Temp.

Link:

Smoked Bear Loaf (All Beef)     

Also as for Cold Smoking, Hot Smoking, or Warm Smoking----I "Warm Smoke" my Bacon with Smoker temps of 120*/130*, and I have NEVER had any Bacon fat render during those smokes. If it did, there would be dripping from top pieces to bottom pieces, and you can see in all of my Bacon Smokes, that has never happened. The texture is no different than Bacon I have cold smoked in the past, however with smoker temps between 100* and 130* I can get great color & flavor in half the time as with cold smoking.

Understand there is nothing wrong with Cold smoking, but I prefer "Warm Smoking".

LOL----If Pork bellies really rendered at temps below 100*, all of the Pigs in Arizona would be in serious trouble.----Just kidding!!

Bear

 

[pops6927]

My dad used to make beef bacon for the Jewish community.  Just like pork bacon, he made it out of beef plate:

Beef rib plate section separated.jpg

• pops6927
• Jun 3, 2014

You separate the plate from the beef rib section as such.  Then, remove the ribs on the plate:

beef plate ribs.jpg

• pops6927
• Jun 3, 2014

and what is left is the belly of the steer (just like removing spareribs from the belly on a pig).

I used to love slicing off some boneless plate beef for lunch, taking ir upstairs and frying it up!  

But, i digress.

You take the boneless plates and cure them in Reg. or Lo-Salt Pop's Brine and cure them usually 14-21 days, then hang in the smokehouse w/bacon hooks (sterilized to prevent any pork contamination)

and smoke them all day, with heat, until they reach min. 135° (partially cooked) stage, then pull and cool, slice and sell, and remind the customer it must be cooked further, preferable semi to crisp.

As the brisket is adjacent to the plate, it also can be cured and smoked.

And yes, both will taste like pastrami.  Just like what is sold in NY Deli's! 

 

[Bearcarver]

Great Post Pops!!!---------

Very interesting & informative, as usual !!!

Bear

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
Great Post Pops!!!---------

Very interesting & informative, as usual !!!

Bear

That rack of beef looks awesome! Oh something else to dream about smoking!