Dried Beef Step by Step (Great Stuff)

[Bearcarver]

If you wash it after smoking, doesn't that remove all the smoke flavor from the meat?

I wash mine off real good after smoking, because I coat my Dried Beef with CBP, Garlic Powder & Onion Powder before forming the Pellicle. Then after smoking there's still a lot of loose seasonings on the surface, so I wash that off, to keep it from getting all over my Kitchen while I'm slicing & packing it. So the only thing that's getting washed off is the loose stuff on the surface.

Bear

 

[philinnm]

Thanks. so if I don't put any seasoning on before smoking and rinse after cure and before smoking as your procedure says, I shouldn't be rinsing after smoking, right?

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks. so if I don't put any seasoning on before smoking and rinse after cure and before smoking as your procedure says, I shouldn't be rinsing after smoking, right?

You can if you want, but there's no reason to rinse it then.

Bear

 

[philinnm]

Thanks. BTW, I still use the original "recipe" you posted. Humidity is so dry here, they were up to temp and done in 8 hours.

 

[Steve H]

Finally back home after a week in Ohio. Great place Miamisburg. I ate waay too much food there! But, I had a craving. A big one. After I got unpacked and into my junk shorts and shirt I made a beeline to the fridge. And got me some horseradish cheese and some of that dried beef I made. The flavor was great together. The beef is perfect with moisture. Today I'll slice half of it very thing for creamed beef. The other half a bit thicker for sammies.

 

[Bearcarver]

Finally back home after a week in Ohio. Great place Miamisburg. I ate waay too much food there! But, I had a craving. A big one. After I got unpacked and into my junk shorts and shirt I made a beeline to the fridge. And got me some horseradish cheese and some of that dried beef I made. The flavor was great together. The beef is perfect with moisture. Today I'll slice half of it very thing for creamed beef. The other half a bit thicker for sammies.

Sounds & Looks Great Steve!!
I knew you'd like it!!
However I would slice it all thin. Better to put a few thin slices in your Sammies than a smaller number of thicker slices.
I tried thicker, and the Thinner slices melt in your mouth.

Bear

 

[Steve H]

Sounds & Looks Great Steve!!
I knew you'd like it!!
However I would slice it all thin. Better to put a few thin slices in your Sammies than a smaller number of thicker slices.
I tried thicker, and the Thinner slices melt in your mouth.

Bear

I just cut that with a knife for a snack. I just got done slicing the rest up on my slicer. 3/4's of it thin for sandwhiches. The rest super thin for creamed beef. The thicker pieces on the right I cut by hand from a couple of ends. They were put to use right away!

 

[Bearcarver]

Great!
You only have one problem left----
It won't last long at all.
Might as well start curing more now.

Bear

 

[Steve H]

And for breakfast......
It was real good. Though next time I'll need to adjust for the higher moisture in the dried beef.

 

[Bearcarver]

And for breakfast......
It was real good. Though next time I'll need to adjust for the higher moisture in the dried beef.

Yeah, If I was worried about "Creamed Chip Beef on Toast", I would pull enough out for my Sammies before it gets too Dry, and leave enough in for the "CCB on Toast", for an extra 10 hours at about 150°-160° to dry it out more.

I don't worry about it, because almost all of my Dried Beef goes to my Cold Sammies, and I don't want my Dried Beef to suck all the moisture out of my bread.
Although since I no longer work, that's not much of a problem. I used to keep my Sammies in my Lunch Box for 5 hours while working, and by Lunch time the Bread was bone dry stale tasting.

Bear

 

[Steve H]

I'm happy now that I sliced most of it for sammies. Which will be in my lunch box tomorrow.

 

[Bearcarver]

I'm happy now that I sliced most of it for sammies. Which will be in my lunch box tomorrow.

You might have already read somewhere about my all time favorite "Simple" Sammy, but here it is again:
2 slices of Fresh White or Italian Bread.
Coat both with Miracle Whip (Mayo if you like it bland).
Add a bunch of slices of Dried Beef.
Then add a slice or 2 of American Cheese.

That's it---So simple, but for 50 years I had 2 Sammies like that every working day for a couple months, beginning with when I got my Venison Dried Beef back from my annual Deer.

Bear

 

[Steve H]

You might have already read somewhere about my all time favorite "Simple" Sammy, but here it is again:
2 slices of Fresh White or Italian Bread.
Coat both with Miracle Whip (Mayo if you like it bland).
Add a bunch of slices of Dried Beef.
Then add a slice or 2 of American Cheese.

That's it---So simple, but for 50 years I had 2 Sammies like that every working day for a couple months, beginning with when I got my Venison Dried Beef back from my annual Deer.

Bear

Yup! Had that yesterday. But without the american cheese. Never thought of adding that to the Velveeta before. I will try that. Thanks!

 

[Bearcarver]

Yup! Had that yesterday. But without the american cheese. Never thought of adding that to the Velveeta before. I will try that. Thanks!

Yup---Just American, not Velveeta.
I love Velveeta, but it seems to overpower the Dried Beef flavor, and American Cheese doesn't do that to it.
Try one with just American & Dried Beef, and let me know what you think.

Bear

 

[Steve H]

Yup---Just American, not Velveeta.
I love Velveeta, but it seems to overpower the Dried Beef flavor, and American Cheese doesn't do that to it.
Try one with just American & Dried Beef, and let me know what you think.

Bear

Ah, I misunderstood you. I will try that.

 

[nanuk]

It's 1:12am
two pieces of Bear's dry beef is off, and one is ate!

WOW! I like this stuff!

mine is salty. I did a salt test fry, and it wasn't that salty, but after a smoke, it was more salty that I expected.

I have two more pieces in the smoker, and once they are done, I'm off to bed!

THANKS Bearcarver!

I WILL be making a LOT of this stuff!

 

[Bearcarver]

It's 1:12am
two pieces of Bear's dry beef is off, and one is ate!

WOW! I like this stuff!

mine is salty. I did a salt test fry, and it wasn't that salty, but after a smoke, it was more salty that I expected.

I have two more pieces in the smoker, and once they are done, I'm off to bed!

THANKS Bearcarver!

I WILL be making a LOT of this stuff!

That's Great Nanuk!!
I've heard about some being a bit too salty, but most of the time it seems that mellowed out after a couple days in the Fridge. The only time any of mine were salty, it was just on the surface, and rinsed off before smoking.

Thanks for the report,
Bear

 

[nanuk]

This stuff was curing for an extra 5 days over your minimum.... I wonder if that made a difference?
The fry test was OK, but I could taste the saltiness a bit.

the next pieces I have curing, I'll do a salt test, and if I sense it like the first batch, I'll soak for an hour... then smoke it.

This stuff is GOOD!
I highly recommend everyone try it!

Thank you so much for your contribution! Delicious!

 

[Ishi]

It's 1:12am
two pieces of Bear's dry beef is off, and one is ate!

WOW! I like this stuff!

mine is salty. I did a salt test fry, and it wasn't that salty, but after a smoke, it was more salty that I expected.

I have two more pieces in the smoker, and once they are done, I'm off to bed!

THANKS Bearcarver!

I WILL be making a LOT of this stuff!

Mine will be ready this weekend. I can’t wait. I’ll post the results

 

[Bearcarver]

This stuff was curing for an extra 5 days over your minimum.... I wonder if that made a difference?
The fry test was OK, but I could taste the saltiness a bit.

the next pieces I have curing, I'll do a salt test, and if I sense it like the first batch, I'll soak for an hour... then smoke it.

This stuff is GOOD!
I highly recommend everyone try it!

Thank you so much for your contribution! Delicious!

Thank You Nanuk,
Many will tell you that you can't cure too long. Some will even tell you that too short a curing time will make it salty.
That may be true with a Wet Equilibrium Brine Cure, but when you do a Dry Cure, too long can make it extra salty.
Although only 5 days over my minimum shouldn't be the cause.

Bear