S.O.S. - Smoked Dried Beef

[pops6927]

Well, the proof's in the pudding, so time to give it a test. Cut it in half lengthwise to make it easier to slice thin, and now the slices are irridescent, denoting proper cooking and drying.



Cut up one half into slices, put in a pot with some butter and lightly fried it to bring out the flavor. Added milk and pepper and cornstarch paste and thickened, then let sit while I made potatoes, corn, peas and biscuits, then plated it up. You could taste the smokey flavor all through the milk gravy and the beef was tender yet firm! It was delicious! We had SOS - S(tuff) On Spuds!

On the plate:

Hope you get to try some, it's delicious!

 

[c2s]

Is SOS different for different areas? For those I know it is hamburger gravy on bread or mashed potatoes and dried beef is used to make chipped beef.

 

[fire it up]

Boy does that look good! I wish I could try some, guess I'll just have to make my own. You had me at "You could taste the smokey flavor all through the milk gravy", after that I knew I had to try this. Thanks for a great recipe and some excellent Qview. Points to you my friend.

 

[the dude abides]

That looks awesome. Around here SOS is S^$t on Shingles which is dried beef in a white gravy/sauce, usually served on toast. White bread toast mind you.

No matter how you served it, it looks great. Loved the color of the meat. Looks like "mother of pearl".

Good job outta you!

 

[pops6927]

Yes, if you look up Sh^t on Shingles in Wikipedia it's dried chipped beef in a white gravy sauce served on toast; hamburger is a modification of it only.

Served it on boiled potatoes instead of bread because low on bread (had to save for lunches) plus diabetes and carbs. And, the wife likes potatoes!

 

[pops6927]

Just looked up this old thread, even though today is turkey day, it's time to think about making some more!  Cut the curing time down, probably 7 days instead of 21 (found out with experience just don't need that long, esp. with injecting it).

 

[tjohnson]

Hey Pops!!!

How about a "Low Sodium Ham" next???

Had a store bought ham a week ago and blew up like the "Stay Puff Marshmallow Man"!  Been away from salt so long, that it really affects me when i eat it.

THANKS!

Todd

 

[pops6927]

Yes, you're right, need to work on some ham for sure, Easter is coming!  What I'll do is do some pork shoulder picnics to experiment on and get as lo-sodium as possible, that's what I want to do with the dried beef too!  A certain silent benefactor sent me some purchasing power for meat experimentation and I will certainly apply the benefits to that end and post my findings; please bear with me through the holiday season however, all my efforts have to go to maximizing my sales and profits to finish out the year strong!

 

[meateater]

Here's how I did mine 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/110043/dried-double-smoked-beef#post_674503

 

[woodcutter]

I'm using a very very mild brine solution of nitrite which takes a lot longer, it's only about 1% vs. recommended 10%. The longer the curing time with a low amount of nitrite breaks down the connective tissue more completely, allowing more porosity in the meat to allow better smoke penetration and makes the meat more tender (or is it 'tenderer'?). I'd asked my dad the same thing years back after learning commercial packers could cure a ham in 24 hours when we took 30 days in the brine. He demonstrated it to me graphically, injecting a ham with 12% nitrite solution and putting it in it to soak overnight, the next day pulling it and a 'normal' ham that had soaked 30 days in a 1% solution out and smoking and cooking both side-by-side. The 12% solution ham was leathery and had a chemical taste (much like most hams of today, lol!) vs. the 30 day cure which was much more tender and sweeter with more smoke penetration and flavor. He was pretty smart for an ol' dog!

This is interesting information. I'm going to pick up a round eye (because I was a poor hunter this year and did not get a deer) and try your slower method. Thanks Pops!

 

[fpmich]

Great recipe/method Pops has for this.

I made some especially for my for my wife.  She loves SOS.  I'm not a fan of dried beef, or SOS, but that is because I've only tried it in army, or with store bought stuff.  ICK!

First time I ever made it.  Followed Pops recipe/method best I could. Turned out fantastic! 

This stuff is good enough to eat as a snack.  Try THAT with the expensive Armour[emoji]174[/emoji] jar crap!

Very hard to slice whole hunk into slices!   I ended up cutting it lengthwise in thirds, then I could get a knife to go through it, for fairly thin slices.  Some were still a little thick.

I was very happy to see the iridescence appear, that Pops mentioned, about it showing it was cured right.

Took a couple of photo's before vacuum packing.

Iridescence doesn't show up very well in the flash.   I should've taken the photo during daylight.

Smoking 002.JPG

• fpmich
• Dec 12, 2013

Smoking 004.JPG

• fpmich
• Dec 12, 2013

I think the next time I will make two kinds.  One for SOS (salty), and one w/less salt for snacks/sandwiches and my BP.

 

[fpmich]

Double post by accident.  Deleted content.  Sry

 

[chewmeister]

 
Pushed hard to earn some extra Spiffs at work and garnered enough to blow $8 + on an Eye of the Round ½ roast chunk to make into Dried Beef for S.O.S. (S**t on a Shingle). My Dad made a lot of it and as I remember correctly he used his standard ham pickle plus double the salt. I've recreated his ham pickle on here before to pickle pork loin for Canadian Bacon and for Smoked chicken and turkeys; the recipe is:

8 cups water (or 4 pints, or 2 quarts, or ½ gal, all the same)
½ cup table salt
½ cup brown sugar (Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji] kind)
½ cup (Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji] brand) Sucralose sugar (Walmart Altern[emoji]174[/emoji] equiv)
1 tbsp. DQ Cure[emoji]174[/emoji] (pink sugar nitrite from Butcher Packer)

BUT I substituted 1 cup table Salt for the standard ½ cup table salt for the Dried Beef:



and the eye round roast, already trimmed of almost all fat:



Once the brine is made up I took my injector needle (multi-hole tip) (Of course, trusty PJ the dog is ever-vigilant making sure I don't drop anything that she could immediately scarf up!)



sucked up a barrel-full of brine and injected it into one end:



Then injected the opposite end too to make sure it's pickling from the inside-out as well as the outside-in:



Then put it in the brine along with a small ziploc bag of ice cubes to keep it fully immersed



plus while doing that I cut my latest Corn King Ham product in half and tossed on the smoker for some re-smoke adding flavor to it for lunches next week (at Wal-Mart @ $6.95 for a 5lb. loaf)



(Gotta smoke something today!).

Put the beef in the fridge to let it pickle 21 days, will pull out about April 7th to double-smoke - will post the results in this thread then! Hope it turns out like Dad used to make!

 

Brought this old thread up because I want to try making this, but have a question. I've been using Pop's brine recipe for curing bacon, etc. This recipe calls for 1Tbs cure to 1/2 gallon water whereas Pop's current recipe calls for 1 Tbs. per gallon of water. Why is the amount of cure doubled in this recipe? Just curious.

 

[vance hanna]

Looks Amazing Pops, Can this be done with a more expensive cut such as a sirloin tip roast,Prime rib, Whole Filet Mignon  or a boneless rib Roast?

 

[fpmich]

 

 
Pushed hard to earn some extra Spiffs at work and garnered enough to blow $8 + on an Eye of the Round ½ roast chunk to make into Dried Beef for S.O.S. (S**t on a Shingle). My Dad made a lot of it and as I remember correctly he used his standard ham pickle plus double the salt. I've recreated his ham pickle on here before to pickle pork loin for Canadian Bacon and for Smoked chicken and turkeys; the recipe is:

8 cups water (or 4 pints, or 2 quarts, or ½ gal, all the same)
½ cup table salt
½ cup brown sugar (Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji] kind)
½ cup (Splenda[emoji]174[/emoji] brand) Sucralose sugar (Walmart Altern[emoji]174[/emoji] equiv)
1 tbsp. DQ Cure[emoji]174[/emoji] (pink sugar nitrite from Butcher Packer)

BUT I substituted 1 cup table Salt for the standard ½ cup table salt for the Dried Beef:
and the eye round roast, already trimmed of almost all fat:

Once the brine is made up I took my injector needle (multi-hole tip) sucked up a barrel-full of brine and injected it into one end:
Then injected the opposite end too to make sure it's pickling from the inside-out as well as the outside-in:
Then put it in the brine along with a small ziploc bag of ice cubes to keep it fully immersed

Put the beef in the fridge to let it pickle 21 days, will pull out about April 7th to double-smoke - will post the results in this thread then! Hope it turns out like Dad used to make!

 

Brought this old thread up because I want to try making this, but have a question. I've been using Pop's brine recipe for curing bacon, etc. This recipe calls for 1Tbs cure to 1/2 gallon water whereas Pop's current recipe calls for 1 Tbs. per gallon of water. Why is the amount of cure doubled in this recipe? Just curious.

Chewmeister,

I asked the same question of Pop's in a PM a year or two ago.  His answer was "for flavor".  Same with the salt amounts.

Vance

Looks Amazing Pops, Can this be done with a more expensive cut such as a sirloin tip roast,Prime rib, Whole Filet Mignon  or a boneless rib Roast?

I imagine it could, but why would you waste Prime Rib or filet mignon on a simple low cost meat dish.  If anything I would use cheaper cuts of meats like bottom round, rather that Prime or tenderloin.

Sorry for posting to old thread, but no one else answered their questions, plus, it is time for me to make some more.  Just used the last bag up.

 

[RRR]

I realize this is an old post but had to ask. When you refer to cure are you talking about pink #1 cure or Tender Quick?

 

[Fueling Around]

I realize this is an old post but had to ask. When you refer to cure are you talking about pink #1 cure or Tender Quick?

Pink #1
https://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=237_12&products_id=1088

 

[pops6927]

Pink Cure #1, not TendeQuick. https://www.butcher-packer.com/inde..._id=56&zenid=93ace7136d8e940049f50fc9711c8f40

 

[Psmowrey]

Pink Cure #1, not TendeQuick. https://www.butcher-packer.com/inde..._id=56&zenid=93ace7136d8e940049f50fc9711c8f40

I've read through this thread and found it very informative. I made BearCarver's dried beef with a dry cure on some venison a few weeks ago and it turned out great. I'm going to do much larger batch soon and putting all the pieces in bags takes up a too much room in my fridge.

Was thinking about doing this next batch using the wet brine and putting it in our walk-in at the ranch. I'm probably going to have 40-50 pieces (small mind you) and none are going to be over 2" think.

When it comes to meat to brine ratio.....is there one? Or just enough brine to cover all of the meat (i'll be doing it in multiple buckets/cambros)?

Also, with the pieces being smaller and not needing to be injected, would I still go for the 21 days, or will a shorter time period work?

Thanks in advance!

Patrick