How to Make Cured Deli Beef

It's easy to cure and season a cheap beef roast to make delicious sandwich meat - great hot or cold! Cure, cook via water bath (you could use a roasting pan full of water and try to manage the temperature with a thermometer, if you don't have a precision cooker), and finish off with a quick sear!
For the cure, percentages are based on meat weight. It's easiest to measure in grams, just for math. For example, the cure is .25%, so if your roast is 1000g, the calculation is 1000x.0025 (or .25%), which equals 2.5g of cure. Weigh your meat, run a little math for the percentages, and you're good to weigh out all your ingredients. Here is the recipe:
.25% cure #1 (Prague Powder 1 or other sodium nitrite-based cure) amzn.to/3ESiZ9F
2.3% kosher salt
1.5% garlic powder
.25% dried thyme
1% fresh cracked black pepper
Cure 3-4 weeks. Rinse. Cook via precision cooker at 140F for 24 hours. Sear with torch, bbq, or hot fire (I hope you have access to better wood than I do, though! 😅) Chill and slice. Store unsliced ham vacuum sealed in fridge.
If you're looking for a vacuum sealer, consider one of these:
amzn.to/3QQ65A9
amzn.to/3E5vzBQ
amzn.to/44tl7za
For the precision cooker, I have the first edition of the Anova. A couple current options are:
amzn.to/47LrDE0
amzn.to/3P72nRf

[@terryl.9302]

Considering how tasteless alot of beef is these days, a fabulous option for both taste & ferment nutrition. Thx. --🍒

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks for the kind words! Yes, I agree that most of our store bought beef is rather bland, unfortunately. Treating it like this does make for a little magic. 😁

[@briangleason5597]

Excellent recipe. Thank You.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks! Let me know if you give it a try. 😁

[@bumblebear1884]

Loved this just made it last week and i started two more and two loin hams from your videos

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Wicked! So happy you're enjoying it. Thanks for the kind words. Enjoy those hams! 😁

[@stuartmccloud307]

Looks delicious, I made Pastrami for the first time, so gonna try this flavour. Great video, thanks 🙏

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Awesome! Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, pastrami is super delicious...I'll have to record the next time I make it (I often make elk pastrami, and it's great). If you give this a whirl, please let me know how it turns out! 😁

[@mgalen]

Awesome, thanks for making this video! I've been considering making deli meats at home for awhile after getting a slicer for Xmas, I think this will be a great use of it.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

My pleasure! You won't be disappointed in this journey. If you like ham, you should also try my pork loin deli "ham" recipe: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJqcY4yBpNOsmJo I'm also currently working on a version that finishes via hot smoke, rather than precision cooker so stay tuned! 😁

[@mgalen]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Yes indeed I'm doing that one next. Any advice on making a honey ham? Just add honey to the cure I'm guessing...

[@udavas]

great video thx

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks! 😁

[@spinningbackspin]

I have been making sous vide beef (all cuts, and pork loin) for about 5-6 years. Now, this is just in my experience, of course, but I don't think you can do much to the actual flavor of meat with just a coating of spices before you sous vide. It's in a water bath. Nothing is caramelizing. Sure, your spices are flavoring the water. To really flavor the meat, aside from blasting in in the oven after your sous vide cook, you need a long marinade/marinate. I have done wonderful corned beef with brisket and chuck shoulder. Both good. Takes a long time in the fridge. But worth the effort in my opinion. Good video, btw.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks! Yeah, you're correct about the need for a decent marinade to actually flavor the beef, which is why I have all the seasonings in this for the long curing time. If I don't have time to marinade a sous vide steak, I don't even bother to try to add any flavours until after finishing it off. Like you say, not much point, otherwise. 👍👍

[@leo.girardi]

Like it! Tip, if you are going to vacuum pack for the fridge, throw an extra 6-8" on the bag so you can reuse it if you open it several times and reseal.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Totally! I reuse these as many times as possible. With six people in the house, I always slice off enough to make up for the portion I've removed. 🤣 With the cost of those bags, a person can't afford to just throw them away every time you open the same meat. Thanks for the great comment!

[@leo.girardi]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Well, you comment and your video got you a new subscriber.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@leo.girardi Hey, thanks! I always love chatting with people who share similar interests. 😁

[@MadPick]

Another fascinating video, thank you. What do you think about taking it straight from the curing stage to the sous vide in the same vacuum bag, without rinsing it? And then rinse it after cooking?

[@terryl.9302]

My thought exactly. Add a bit of full-array Salt to the cure? to dry out a bit more?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

A person could do that, but I would hesitate to have this much drier. If I'm looking to do a drier actual beef charcuterie, I would cure it and then let it dry age in the curing chamber, like I do with my bresaola: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX26lJymo8x7l5Ysi=ZUOQW9VWbS36jQeZ. That way, I wouldn't be worried about it being overly salty, which could happen with a higher salt percentage. Thanks for the comment! 😁

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Yeah, that's a possibility. Not sure why I haven't tried to do it like that, yet (maybe I just like lighting money on fire 😂), but I should give that a go on my next project that needs to cook via water bath, to see how it turns out. Will advise after I try it! Let me know if you beat me to it. 😁 Thanks for the question!

[@terryl.9302]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 okay, this makes good sense. Really like that you Vacuum-Seal. Some then punch holes, but doubt that's a good idea, defeating the main purpose. 🍒

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@terryl.9302 Yeah, that's true. Thanks for the discussion. Love talking about this stuff. 👌🏻

[@D.R.Guitar]

Looks great! Definitely going to try this. In the video, you said the sous vide cook was 24 hours. However, in the video description, you state 3 hours. Can you please clarify that? Thanks.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Dang! That's definitely a typo in the video description. I'll change that now. Thanks for catching that. Don't want to mislead anyone. 😂

[@D.R.Guitar]

I figured the video was correct but thought I should ask. Thanks!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@D.R.Guitar I'm very glad you did! Thanks again.

[@motormusic1]

Looks nice, how long does it last in the fridge? Doubt you could eat all that in 5 days

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks! It lasts for months, if you've got it refrigerated and vacuum sealed between slicing. That's why I cure it. Makes it last forever. 😁

[@johnnymuniz9762]

​@ThisDadGoesTo11 does it matter if it's sliced first, then put in the fridge?? Or should it only be sliced as needed??

[@suzikirby1973]

Hi. Cassie of Carnivore Quest sent me !

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Awesome! Welcome...hope you enjoy some of the vids. Let me know what you think. 😁

[@abeabe6102]

Hey man, I can't wait to taste this, can't wait enough I didn't completely taw it before bagging it and sealing it. I see liquid in the bag, not lots but should I drain it and then revaccum seal it? It's been in there for 10 days now. Thank you

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Nice! You should be fine...liquid often comes out of the meat during the curing phase. There might be a bit more than usual, if the meat was going to lose some during thawing, but I wouldn't be worried about that, at all. Save the bag. If you can, let me know how it turns out! 😁

[@abeabe6102]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 It will definitely be great :-) what it the least time I have to leave it in the fridge? I'm so hungry and want to roast it in my new ninja electric fire BBQ. I haven't tried it yet :-)

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

I bet! So, the timing really depends on the thickness of the loin. I would say the minimum is two weeks. You might get away with less, if the roast's diameter is small enough...I've seen under-cured products, before, though (my good buddy pulled a pork loin too early, one time), and you can see a big difference where the cure didn't get all the way through - in color and texture. Being patient to ensure full penetration is best, as you'd be kicking your own butt if you pulled it too early and wound up regretting it. 😲

[@abeabe6102]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 going to wait then, next weekend it is :-) thx again

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@abeabe6102 My pleasure! All in the name of tasty meat. 🤣👍👍

[@Tony13754]

Wow❗ That poor piece of Meat 🍖 has been through Hell and Back . . . But looks AMAZING 👏 Good Job 👍🏻

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

🤣🤣 No kidding! Been put through the ringer, for sure. It was quite the journey, but I'm glad we did it. Thanks! 😁

[@GettingGoshen]

What other cut of meat can you use? I prefer the brisket like slices.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

I went with a lean cut, as my kids aren't fans of fat (darn kids!), and I'm cooking at a low temp, so not much fat would render out. You could use any cut you like, provided you're aware that cooking at the low temp will leave most of the fat in place. Using the eye of round cut, I still wind up with nice, soft meat in the finished product. If you do try something different, please let me know how it turns out! Maybe I'll make one just for me. 😉

[@sewforlife5728]

I always make my own lunch meat. I make roast beef and turkey breast and I always use eye of round. I like my roast beef med well and Im not bothered if its well half way in and med well in the center. Then I use my slicer to cut it more or less shaved, same with my turkey. My question is what does curing it do versus over roasting for the purpose of deli meat?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Right on! That all sounds delicious. I cured this style of meat mainly to extend its shelf life. Refrigerated, it will last months, even if I'm regularly opening the vacuum bag, slicing, and resealing. That way, my kids and I can have a large variety of meat options in the fridge and not feel the pressure to blast through it before it expires. It also just has a different texture and flavor that roasted beef. I do like to do a roasted beef version, too, though, just to mix things up. I agree that eye of round is definitely the cut to use. Thanks for the comment and question! 😁

[@sewforlife5728]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 thank you for your response.👍

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@sewforlife5728 My pleasure! I love talking meat. 👍👍

[@DavidD-fj3vq]

Noticed those sour dough loafs!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Yeah! They were hiding in the background. Good eye! 😁

[@VoodooViking]

When speeding up the vacuum sealing, it sounded like a bagpipe releasing gas. 😂

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

😆😆😆👍👍

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

That's my Scottish heritage in action. 😅

[@baseballhunter42]

What the reason for rinsing the cure seasoning off before sous vide?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

It's just a practice I've always used with curing, particularly back before I did equilibrium cures (so I also freshened in cold water). Sometimes, the liquid in the bags is a little soupy and salty. I like to start with a clean slate, rinsed and patted dry, so that there isn't liquid trying to get sucked out during the vacuum process. A person can always choose to sprinkle the meat with more spices and whatnot prior to cooking (something like a Montreal Steak Spice blend would be awesome, in this case), if you're wanting more flavor. Man, now I want to make another batch with that on it. 🤣 Thanks for the question!

[@TheEdrichard]

Thanks for sharing! A question... If I put it in the fridge for 3 weeks to do it's thing, that will likely be past the best before date marked on the roast from the butcher. That said, because I am curing it, the best before date wouldn't apply; right?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Yup! That's 100% correct. It's a big part of the reason I use the cure. It lets me go with that extended time to have the seasoning get into the beef. 😛 Thanks for the question!

[@michaeltooke9164]

How long will it keep in the fridge? weeks? months?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

This will keep months in the fridge. I keep mine vacuum sealed in the fridge (always making the bag larger than required, so that I can re-vacuum seal after each slicing. The sealing like that also helps prevent issues. This and my deli ham seem to last WAY longer than any cured deli meats I've purchased from grocery stores in the past. Thanks for the question! 😁

[@Lord.Kiltridge]

I _have_ cured deli beef. It's not sliced, it's just big chunks of salty, cold, lean roast round. It's unsliced leftover roast beef ends from the deli. What do I _do_ with this meat that my wife bought on sale and then dumped in my lap?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Haha...time for a miracle. My first thought would be to make a thin gravy or jus for beef dip (or French dip beef, depending on what you like to call it). I'd try to somewhat slice the chunks (some will be larger than others, and that's fine), get the sauce made and hot, then add the beef to simmer for a bit. It should get the beef hot and flavorful...then, you can remove and add to some nice buns. If it was me, I'd then add some creamy horseradish, some slices of melty cheese...maybe hot sauce or whatever. Serve by dipping into the leftover sauce. I've done something similar with store-bought whole deli beef...that was easier, as the roast was still intact, so the slices were more uniform, but a guy could do something very similar with this for a decent meal. Good luck with the beef, whatever your decision might be! 😁

[@DarkMatterX1]

That's pretty close to a good pastrami seasoning mix.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Facts! 😁

[@outdoorsman1955]

I wonder how this would taste cooking it in my smoker

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Probably awesome. I'd recommend keeping the smoker temp low enough to get some nice smoke but not really overshoot a 150F internal temp. Maybe 145 would be great. 😁👍👍

[@pscfoss6711]

??? I am hoping for a pastrami recipe using pork loin. if you have one please share. I don't seem to find one on your site. just curing, no sou vie, no curing box I have made Canadian bacon [10 lbs] with your cure recipe and am in heaven, better than anything store-bought ,

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Awesome! I'm so glad you're enjoying the Canadian bacon recipe. 😁 It's been a while since I made pastrami, so I'm due for that! I love the idea of making some with pork loin...and I have one in my fridge right now, so I'll give that a go. It'll be cured, then likely hot smoked. Stay tuned!

[@pscfoss6711]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 thanks, , looking forward to your results, keep me in the loop 😋😋

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@pscfoss6711 Definitely! 😁

[@jimmiers8218]

Can this be cooked in the oven?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Yes, you could do that, for sure. I'd go low and slow, just to make sure it doesn't dry out. I'd maybe go 200 or 225F, in a large pan, ideally with some sort of water pan in there to prevent it drying out. Use a thermometer and make sure it doesn't go above 140F or so. The cooking portion is just to adjust the texture of the meat, as it's already safe to eat after curing, but would feel weird. I cooked a cured pork loin like that in a recent oven-roasted capicola I made: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fImwnHWjndKmnZI Thanks for watching and for the question! 😁

[@jimmiers8218]

thks that what i was going to do plus use oven bag?

[@michaeltooke9164]

it looks like it started to gas up- it was no longer tight.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Yeah, there were a couple little pockets that formed here and there.

[@freddysart4005]

Why gloves???

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Just keeping my hands clean. It speeds up the process if I don't have to stop to wash my hands between tasks. Also, I hate those particular gloves and am trying to burn through them. 🤣

[@FeChefUSA]

So, it took you so long to chew, you had to speed up the video.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

🤣 It wasn't super long in real time, but I didn't think people wanted to watch me savor it and analyze the flavor for as long as I did.

[@jayfields7800]

You lost me at using burch. Equivalent of searing it over burning newspapers. Everything else is spot on.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

🤣 Yeah, I'm at a serious wood disadvantage where I live. My only other real options are pine and spruce...you wouldn't believe what people have to pay to even get birch, around here. Sigh. I found that the small time this was over the fire didn't lead to any off-flavors, thankfully. I usually prefer to sear things on the searing burner of my propane grill, but this meat was too large to be convenient for that. Thanks for watching! 😁

[@MrT8T3R]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11Man, if I had the money to do so, I’d mail you some mesquite. I’m drowning in the stuff.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@MrT8T3R I can't tell you how jealous I get when I see videos or posting from down in the US, where people are all like, "yeah, I'm just firing this smoker (or pizza oven, or fireplace!) with hickory I cut down from the forest in my backyard a few years ago" and all that. 🤣 It would be deadly to have proper, awesome hardwood available...it's like $11 for a 5lb bag of chunks around here, and that's not a great option for making a sweet fire. Sigh.

[@MrT8T3R]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 I feel your pain but I have to admit that I was a pit master at a BBQ joint that cooked with 4 converted 1K gallon propane tanks. That being said, the only Hickory we have here in North Texas is either imported from the E/S-E US or elsewhere. Not gonna lie, I’ve stopped to pick up trimmed live oak that someone’s piled up on the side of the road. Have some curing from last fall where I did just that. If I wanted to pay for cooking wood, I’d go to Buc-ee’s

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Oooh! Bet that was fun to cook on those! Yeah, some oak would be great, too. I wish we had better access to cool wood types. Most common is pine and spruce - that's almost all we can get for firewood, etc. Birch is also available (sigh), and it's crazy expensive. Any other types you just have to buy by the small bag at barbeque supply stores. That's why I fire my brick smoker with charcoal; it's not my first choice, but it's the best available option around here. I spice it up with chunks of maple, apple, or whatever else I get my hands on. 😁

[@VoodooViking]

You should make your kids enjoy more rarer meats and foods. Make em expand their pallets. Not telling you how to raise your kids, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Dude, you have no idea. I'm a very rare meat guy, and I'm surrounded by a gaggle of people who aren't. The struggle is real. I'm working on my two older daughters to lure them to the dark side, but my lovely wife is a lost cause for that, and my two little ones aren't ready to get on board, yet. I'm playing the long game. 😅

[@lavrynthos]

You kinda lost me at "nitrite". I 'd love a recip/video without

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hey, there. It would be hard to make this exact product without curing it, as it wouldn't last in the fridge nearly as long. I am playing around with a recipe for more of a roasted version, without curing, which I will have to slice and freeze, as it wouldn't have the same preservation qualities as this one. Stay tuned!