Smoked Dried Beef
Homemade smoked dried beef is a rewarding project with a deeply savory, paper-thin result that blows away store-bought versions. It's perfect for classic creamed chipped beef, dips, and hash.
Equipment
- Smoker or pellet grill Must be able to hold a low temperature of 180-200°F.
- Kitchen scale Essential for accurately measuring curing salt.
- Large zip-top bag or non-reactive container For curing the beef in the refrigerator.
- Digital instant-read meat thermometer To monitor internal temperature for food safety.
- Wire rack and sheet pan For forming the pellicle in the refrigerator.
- Meat slicer or sharp slicing knife For slicing the finished beef paper-thin.
- Vacuum sealer Strongly recommended for long-term storage.
Ingredients
For the Beef & Cure
- 3.5 lb eye of round roast trimmed of all visible fat and silverskin
- 1 tsp Prague Powder #1 (pink curing salt) weigh for accuracy, approx. 0.25% of meat weight
- 4 tbsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
For Smoking
- Hickory, oak, or cherry wood chunks or pellets
Instructions
- Trim any remaining visible fat or silverskin from the eye of round roast. In a small bowl, mix together the Prague Powder #1, kosher salt, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Rub the cure mixture evenly over the entire surface of the beef, ensuring it is completely coated. Place the roast in a large zip-top bag, press out the air, and seal. Refrigerate for 7-10 days, flipping the bag once every day to redistribute the cure and liquid.
- After the curing period, remove the roast from the bag and rinse it thoroughly under cold running water to remove all surface cure. Pat the roast completely dry with paper towels.
- Place the rinsed and dried roast on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Return it to the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours. This step forms a tacky surface layer called a pellicle, which helps smoke adhere.
- Preheat your smoker to 180-200°F, using hickory, oak, or cherry wood for smoke. Place the roast directly on the smoker grates.
- Smoke the beef until it reaches an internal temperature of 150-160°F. Continue smoking at the same low temperature until the roast is firm to the touch and has lost approximately 30-40% of its original weight. This typically takes 6-10 hours.
- Remove the smoked beef from the smoker and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight to firm up completely.
- Once thoroughly chilled, use a meat slicer or a very sharp knife to slice the beef as thinly as possible against the grain. Store in vacuum-sealed bags in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
Always weigh curing salt on a kitchen scale — never measure by volume. Prague Powder #1 is used in small, precise amounts. Too little is a food safety risk; too much affects flavor and can be harmful.