How to Dehydrate Beef
Using Pre-Cooked, Pre-Sliced Deli Roast Beef!

I'm going to show you just how to dehydrate beef!

Roast Beef BEFORE
Dehydrating

Roast Beef before dehydrating

Roast Beef AFTER
Dehydrating

Roast Beef after dehydrating

Here are some photos of the sliced roast beef on the dehydrator trays 'before' and 'after' dehydrating. Look at how much the roast beef slices shrink!

Shrinkage is normal during the process of dehydrating just about all foods.




Dehydrating Beef is Easy to Do!

Today, learning how to dehydrate beef was on my dehydrating to-do list. I find it hard to slice my roast beef (I don't have an electric slicer), so I did the next best thing, and bought the beef pre-sliced and pre-cooked!

NOTE: As with leftover chicken from your Sunday Roast Dinner, you can slice up your roast beef—as evenly as possible—and make them similar in size. This way, your beef will dehydrate at the same rate of time.

Dehydrating cooked roast beef is a great way to keep it fresh and tasty for longer. When you cook roast beef, the natural moisture in the meat evaporates, leaving the beef with a tougher texture.

Dehydrating the beef helps to preserve its tenderness, flavor, and juiciness. Plus, it's a convenient way to store cooked roast beef so you can have it on hand for quick and easy meals.

Where's The Beef?

If you're wondering, "Where's the beef?" I'm gonna test your knowledge of where that now famous line was used in a very successful ad campaign.

Was it

a) McDonalds

b) Wendy's

c) Burger King

Answer: at the very bottom of this content column.

How to Dehydrate Beef Using Sliced Roast Beef

Just like the sliced turkey, and sliced chicken, it dehydrated beautifully AND rehydrated very well too! I used a 7 oz. plastic tub of pre-cooked roast beef from Target Stores. Walmart also has similar tubs of cooked, sliced meats. If you've got time to spare then by all means stand in line at the deli and get your beef sliced for you!

The Roast Beef from Target filled all four of my Nesco Dehydrator trays, with about three slices on each tray. TWO hours later, it's fully dehydrated!

REMEMBER to turn the heat UP to 160°F
never dehydrate meat on a lower setting,
that's not safe (germ-wise).

REMEMBER to turn
the heat UP to 160°F
never dehydrate meat
on a lower setting,
that's not safe
(germ-wise).

Ideal Temperature to Use for
Dehydrating Cooked Roast Beef

Cooked roast beef is best dehydrated at 160°F as mentioned above—but please consult your food dehydrator's owner's manual for their specific instructions.

Roast beef before and after Re-hydrating

Shown above is a slice of roast beef held by its corner, to show you how stiff the roast beef was after dehydrating.

I then took another photo, just an hour later, of the same piece of beef to show you how limp it was after rehydrating!

Rehydrate in Beef Stock for Added Flavor!

IMPORTANT: rehydrate in the refrigerator in CLEAN water - or in beef stock. Don't leave it out on the countertop and let the expensive roast beef go bad!

Beef is a great way to get your protein, but it can be tough to chew if it's not properly rehydrated. The best way to rehydrate beef is to soak it in water )or beef stock, as mentioned) for 30 minutes, or until it's soft enough to eat.

You can also add extra flavor to the water, like soy sauce or BBQ sauce, and Better than Bouillon stock, to make it even more delicious. Once it's softened, you can eat it as is or add it to your favorite recipe.

Roast Beef after re-hydrating



Cute True Story:

Years ago, I recall this story about a granddaughter who wanted to learn how to cook beef. She asked her mom how to do it.

They went shopping and picked up a beautiful chunk of beef. She then proceeded to cut off the end. She then added the beef to the roasting pan.

Cutting off the end baffled the granddaughter, so she asked her mom why she did that.

Her mom replied, "That's how your grandma always does it."

That wasn't the answer she was looking for, so the young lady called her grandma. "Hey, Nanna, I need to know something. Today, Mom is teaching me how to roast beef in the oven. I asked mom how to make it and she cut off the end of the beef! She said you always do that. Why do you do that?"

Grandma giggled and replied, "I cut off the end of the beef because it doesn't fit in my small roasting pan!"

The ladies laughed at their assumption that cutting off the end of the beef was the magic trick to great roast beef!

There was no hidden secret to the best beef after all...

* * *

I've also learned, over the years, that the less you do with the beef, the better. Just pat it dry, salt it lightly, and roast it.


The Answer to the "Where's the Beef?" question is:
b) Wendy's, way back in 1984!
Read about "Where's the Beef" here on Wiki


Easy Food Dehydrating and Safe Food Storage by Susan GastREAD MORE

20 Taste-Tested Easy Recipes eBookREAD MORE

How to Dehydrate Food ... Top 20 Topics ... over 225 Questions AnsweredREAD MORE

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More Good Stuff to Read!


Susan Gast, owner of Easy Food Dehydrating plus ePubTechReviews.com, and SusanGast.com

Susan Gast began Easy Food Dehydrating in December 2010.

Read Susan's story of what sparked her interest in all things related to "food dehydrating."

She is featured on the Mother Earth News blog, and on Solo Build It! (SBI!) who hosts this site. Read her first SBI! interview and her second SBI! interview.

Since 1980, Susan's involvement in publishing - in one form or another - led her to create ePubTechReviews which reviews a variety of products related to the publishing industry - if you're at all interested in AI and self-publishing. The website is also hosted by Solo Build It!

Susan also runs her namesake site SusanGast.com on Solo Build It! that showcases the books she has written since 2012.

Do you want to send Susan a quick message? Visit her contact page here. She'd love to hear from you!