View Full Version : Armour dried beef..
any good?
http://www.armour-star.com/products_dried_beef.html
thoughts?
max patch
11-19-2010, 10:22
I've used it a couple times to add flavor to instant mashed potatoes and gravy; I don't eat mashed potatoes as a main course anymore as it doesn't satisfy me as much as other meals do.
Its expensive for the the amount of calories it provides and is chock full of sodium (something like 2 days worth in one of those packages). I don't use it anymore, but if the price and the sodium doesn't bother you (I wouldn't use if again because of the sodium level) its good to throw into other dishes to add flavor and protein. Not something you'd use as a stand alone main course.
Fiddleback
11-19-2010, 10:39
A couple of decades ago:eek:, we used it for on-trail SOS. Pre-made biscuits, instant white gravy, the chipped beef...wasn't too bad at all!
After a couple trips of making the SOS in a pot we determined it was way too much of a cleanup chore. My Lady hit on the idea to make it up in a baggie. I took the 90's off from backpacking and it wasn't until I returned in the 'naughts' that Sarbar's postings taught me that whole evening meals could be prepared that way.
D'oh!:o
FB
nitegaunt
11-19-2010, 10:52
I thought I was the only one who liked this stuff! I think it's a good alternative to meat like summer sausage. Very salty and tastes like beef jerkyed sandwich meat.
Blissful
11-19-2010, 13:37
I've read you need to dehydrate it a little more. For me its too salty.
Farr Away
11-19-2010, 14:30
I've never used it on trail.
For home use, the first thing I do is rinse it; that takes care of some of the saltiness. If it does need to be dehydrated some more, you could rinse it, then dehydrate it.
-FA
Wise Old Owl
11-19-2010, 19:50
A left over from WW2 and clearly an answer to Spam - Potted meat in its day had a purpose.
Today - its a joke. Its a good shelf warmer for your stable Armageddon backup solution.
It serves no place in today's backpacking. Or edible cooking.
Toolshed
11-20-2010, 09:28
Nice concept but Waaaay to salty. Used it a few times when I was a bodybuilder and working on the road in in small towns in the 80's and couldn't find anything else low-carb to eat. Salt overpowers the meat.
Joshuatree
11-20-2010, 19:57
If you can find a good butcher shop or meat market, you can find dryed beef at some of them. its not nearly as salty as the prepackaged type. they also can have some really good pepper sticks and jerky. I miss the old butcher shops nothing like the smell of a good butcher shop that smokes and drys its own products.
Makes ok creamed chipped beef over toast. Agree, it needs plenty of rinsing first to remove some of the salt.
Wise Old Owl
11-20-2010, 23:30
OK we all agree SALTY STUPID THREAD - now stop posting folks.
IT smaks of brine folks..
Stop upsetting the turkeys.
Uncle Cranky
11-21-2010, 21:11
I used it once on the trail and it was too salty.
But I was too hungry and ate it anyway.
When I got home I remembered the old military favorite Sh**-On-A-Shingle.
I punched said moniker into my web browser and found an web site where ex-navy cooks shared their recipes.
Here's the lowdown from the experts.
Step 1: SOAK CHIPPED BEEF OVER NIGHT TO REDUCE SALT.
MYSTERY SOLVED...enjoy your next batch of sh**.
Wise Old Owl
11-21-2010, 21:57
If you can find a good butcher shop or meat market, you can find dryed beef at some of them. its not nearly as salty as the prepackaged type. they also can have some really good pepper sticks and jerky. I miss the old butcher shops nothing like the smell of a good butcher shop that smokes and drys its own products.
Try Amish or Mennonite locations.
Or google Landjaeger
Schaller MFG. AStoria NY
Wise Old Owl
11-21-2010, 21:59
i used it once on the trail and it was too salty.
But i was too hungry and ate it anyway.
When i got home i remembered the old military favorite sh**-on-a-shingle.
I punched said moniker into my web browser and found an web site where ex-navy cooks shared their recipes.
Here's the lowdown from the experts.
Step 1: Soak chipped beef over night to reduce salt.
Mystery solved...enjoy your next batch of sh**.
step 2. Potato chunk will absorb salt use it in the soak. Then pull it out and heat and mash.
lucidglassj
11-29-2010, 14:15
Mix it with cream cheese and green onions (rinse the beef first). Makes for a great dip. I like to eat the leftover beef (not rinsed) by itself to get a salt high (if theres such a thing) I like salty snacks.
Too funny! A couple weeks ago I did a tongue-in-cheek recipe I called The Salt Bowl from a vintage trail cookbook. One jar of Hormel dried beef was 6K of sodium...and said recipe called for the ENTIRE jar, unrinsed.
All I can say is the beef smelled like Alpo canned dog food upon opening. Yech!
:p