Smoked Venison Dried Beef

[Bearcarver]

 
Looks great , Bear !!! I'm still at step 1 First shoot a deer !!! What kind of slicer do you have ,and how do you like it ??  Ernie

Hi Ernie!!

Plenty of deer up around Jim Thorpe-----You'll get one this year!!

The slicer I use is actually my Son's----We share it from one end of the driveway to the other. It's usually at my house.

It is a Chef's Choice with VariTilt model # 645.

I love it----Works Great----Easy to clean.

A lot of people might not like it, because it's only a 7" blade, but I never saw any reason to slice my Bacon longer than my frying pan.

I never tried to slice anything that wasn't easy to deal with.

I should be smoking some Venison Backstrap Dried Beef tomorrow, along with some Shad Roe.

Bear

 

[thepackerbacker]

So the salt and sugar is totally dissolved. What is the purpose of flipping and massaging them daily? There is some juice that I assume the TQ pulled from the meat, am I trying to roll and keep the meat in that juice?

 

[thepackerbacker]

My venison roasts were also about 2" thick at the thickest point with some parts being 1".

This of course makes the cure time easy, same as you @ 6 days. You mention if you were going to do it again you would let it go for 8 days.

This being am older thread I assume you have since made this multiple times. Based on your experience, would you stop at 6 days cure or would you let it go 8 days as you mention at the end???

 

[Bearcarver]

So the salt and sugar is totally dissolved. What is the purpose of flipping and massaging them daily? There is some juice that I assume the TQ pulled from the meat, am I trying to roll and keep the meat in that juice?

I do that so the juice that was drawn from the meat which mixes with the cure, gets to work on curing both sides equally to the center.

My venison roasts were also about 2" thick at the thickest point with some parts being 1".

This of course makes the cure time easy, same as you @ 6 days. You mention if you were going to do it again you would let it go for 8 days.

This being am older thread I assume you have since made this multiple times. Based on your experience, would you stop at 6 days cure or would you let it go 8 days as you mention at the end???

Since this stuff is solid meat, without and fat, I feel more comfortable adding another two days. So for a 2" thick piece of very lean meat I would go with 8 days instead of 6 days. Six days was always enough, but 2 more days won't hurt anything, and you don't have to worry about coming up a little short.

Bear

 

[thepackerbacker]

Only problem now is that I have to wait to smoke!

 

[Bearcarver]

Only problem now is that I have to wait to smoke!

LOL---We always gotta wait.

I got some in the smoker now, and I'll wait 2 days before I slice it, after smoking.

It's all worth it.

Bear

 

[lostriver]

Hi Bear,

This looks great.  I plan to try this in the near future on some deer and some caribou steaks.  I have a question for after these are finished.  Are these considered "cured" like jerky?  The reason I ask is that I am planning to do some camping in Alaska.  Daytime temps can get in the 60's.  Could I throw this in my backpack and eat it for a couple of days or will it need to be refrigerated?  I plan to freeze some after prep because I live in Indiana and it takes about a day to get to my place in the Aleutians. 

Thanks for all the great recipes.

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Hi Bear,

This looks great.  I plan to try this in the near future on some deer and some caribou steaks.  I have a question for after these are finished.  Are these considered "cured" like jerky?  The reason I ask is that I am planning to do some camping in Alaska.  Daytime temps can get in the 60's.  Could I throw this in my backpack and eat it for a couple of days or will it need to be refrigerated?  I plan to freeze some after prep because I live in Indiana and it takes about a day to get to my place in the Aleutians. 

Thanks for all the great recipes.

Thank You!!!

This would be OK for a few hours, but I wouldn't keep it out of refrigeration for days. It's not as dried out as Jerky.

It's Great stuff though!!

Bear

 

[thepackerbacker]

So it was 6 days and I wish I was able to wait 8 but it's back to work and how's a guy supposed to smoke while he's workin?

Thought it better to smoke now a little early at the 6 days vs wait 8 and attempt an "unattended" smoke.

I rinsed the pieces very well but did not soak them in ice water. Figured this would keep a little more salty goodness in the meat. As suggested I sliced some off one roast and fried up in a pan with some olive oil, DELICIOUS!!!!

Smoking with oak and some cherry towards the end with an AMNPS. I am making history with this smoke as by some miracle the meat went in on time, well 2 minutes late but you get the idea.

I will post a few more photos as things progress!

 

[Bearcarver]

So it was 6 days and I wish I was able to wait 8 but it's back to work and how's a guy supposed to smoke while he's workin?

Thought it better to smoke now a little early at the 6 days vs wait 8 and attempt an "unattended" smoke.

I rinsed the pieces very well but did not soak them in ice water. Figured this would keep a little more salty goodness in the meat. As suggested I sliced some off one roast and fried up in a pan with some olive oil, DELICIOUS!!!!

Smoking with oak and some cherry towards the end with an AMNPS. I am making history with this smoke as by some miracle the meat went in on time, well 2 minutes late but you get the idea.

I will post a few more photos as things progress!
 

Nice start with a lot of good looking hunks of meat !!!

6 days should be fine, as long as when you cut those sample pieces it was red all the way to center, showing that the cure got all the way through.

Are you also starting a new thread all about your Smoke?

Bear

 

[thepackerbacker]

Nope, no need as your instructions took all the guesswork out of it and it was a hit. My family consumed a whole roast for dessert, couldn't wait ill tomorrow. Out of the dozens of ways we have prepared venison at home over the years this has instantly become our favorite. My only regret is not trying it sooner. My only advice is to not have the same regret as me. Happy smoking!!!

 

[thepackerbacker]

Bear, got me thinking...

Why couldn't a guy follow this recipe exactly but then COLD SMOKE at say 80-90 degrees for 8ish hours?


When I fried up the unsmoked slices it kind of tasted like the ground up venison bacon we make. With a cold smoke one would of course need to to pan fry before eating but would this then be more like a venison bacon?

Or would this not be safe?

 

[Bearcarver]

Nope, no need as your instructions took all the guesswork out of it and it was a hit. My family consumed a whole roast for dessert, couldn't wait ill tomorrow. Out of the dozens of ways we have prepared venison at home over the years this has instantly become our favorite. My only regret is not trying it sooner. My only advice is to not have the same regret as me. Happy smoking!!!

 

That's Great !!  I'm glad everybody likes it !!

I have to agree----I've been eating Venison Dried Beef for about 50 years, but I've only been making it myself for about 4 years.

I prefer Beef Steaks & roasts over Venison, but I'd rather have Venison Dried Beef than regular Beef Dried Beef any day. 

It's the only way I'd rather have Venison than Beef.

Thank You for the nice report.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, got me thinking...

Why couldn't a guy follow this recipe exactly but then COLD SMOKE at say 80-90 degrees for 8ish hours?


When I fried up the unsmoked slices it kind of tasted like the ground up venison bacon we make. With a cold smoke one would of course need to to pan fry before eating but would this then be more like a venison bacon?

Or would this not be safe?

My favorite way to eat it (other than just plain) is cold in a sandwich:

2 slices of fresh white Italian bread.

Coat with MW or Mayo.

A nice layer of Dried Beef.

A slice or two of American cheese.

A little Horse Radish too.

If I had to fry it, this wouldn't work for that.

I can tell you what happened to me once:

One time I got a Doe, and I took the hind quarters over to a Farmer who smoked Dried Beef & Venison Dried Beef. He put mine in his smokehouse with the hind quarters from his Son's Buck, that he shot 2 weeks earlier. When his Son's meat was done, he pulled mine out too. When I got mine home, I started slicing it, and found it was still raw inside. I figured the only way it would be safe to eat was to fry it, so I fried some up. That stuff was so salty it was like licking a salt lick, so I gave a little at a time to my BIL's dog.

I don't know if that would happen to Dried Beef made with my method, but that batch became way to salt flavored when sliced & fried.

Bear

 

[thepackerbacker]

I noticed it was a little salty when I fried the test pieces. How/why does smoking remove the saltiness?

 

[Bearcarver]

I noticed it was a little salty when I fried the test pieces. How/why does smoking remove the saltiness?

It doesn't remove it, but the time & the heat makes the piece reach equilibrium. That's another reason I put it in the fridge over night before smoking. Some guys hold it in a fridge for a couple days, but I don't do that until after smoking.

If the test pieces are more than a little salty, you can soak it  in cold water until it's better, changing water every hour. I've never had any that needed that, except when I used Hi Mountain Cure & Seasoning. I've used TQ ever since!!

Bear

 

[thepackerbacker]

What do you think about freezing them whole vs slicing all at once?

 

[Bearcarver]

What do you think about freezing them whole vs slicing all at once?

That would be fine!!

However, as with all the things I smoke, when I get the slicer out, and get it dirty, I slice everything except my fingers!! Then it's just "Thaw it & Eat it".

My dishwasher likes that idea too----Gotta keep her happy!!

Bear

 

[lostriver]

I have some curing now.  It should be ready to smoke this weekend!!!

 

[Bearcarver]

 
I have some curing now.  It should be ready to smoke this weekend!!!

That's Great------You'll love it !!!

Give me a yell if you have any questions.

Bear