Smoked Lancaster County Dried Beef Recipe
Smoked Lancaster County Dried Beef is a slow dried and slow smoked delicacy with a deep smoky flavour. You can slice it thin and serve as a deli meat. You can also use it in gravy, or serve it as creamed dried beef over toast, biscuits and fries. Of course you can have store-bought ones. However, nothing compares to the one that is homemade.
Ingredients
3-5 Lb beef round roasts
1 Tbsp Tenderquick for each lb of beef
1 Tbsp brown sugar for each lb of beef
1 Tbsp cracked black pepper
1 Tsp garlic powder
3 Bay leaves (crushed)
1 Dried chili pepper (crushed)
10 Juniper berries (crushed)
Preparation
Trim beef well of all fat and sinew.
Mix all cure ingredients together in a bowl.
Rub cure over the entire surface of the meat. Coat well. Place roasts along with the remaining cure into a gallon ziploc bag. Place the bag into fridge for 12 days, turning every couple days.
Smoke at 130ºF (54.4°C) for 8-12 hours.
Bump smoker up to 160ºF (71.1°C). And smoke until internal temp of meat reaches 135ºF (57.2°C) .
Place roasts back into the fridge (uncovered) for 5 days to dry before slicing.
Slice thin.
If you don’t feel comfortable with the 135°F (57.2°C) internal temperature cook until it is 140°F (60°C).