For best results use Certified Angus Beef^® brand

Beef Bacon using Eye of Round

Cuisine: American

Category: Sandwiches & Salads, On the Grill

Cured and smoked eye of round mimics Canadian bacon. Move over pork; a slice of this along with egg and cheese makes for an unbelievable breakfast sandwich.

Prep Time

15 mins

Other Time

10 days 1 hr

Cook Time

4 hrs

Total Time

10 days 5 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

5 pounds Certified Angus Beef^® eye of round, excess fat removed
2 gallons plastic container
2 quarts (64 ounces) water
3/4 cup (7.2 ounces) Morton® kosher salt
2/3 cup (5 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon (14 grams) InstaCure #1, pink curing salt
3 tablespoons coarse black pepper, 16-18 mesh dustless preferred (optional)

Instructions:

Dissolve salt, sugar and pink cure into water. Tip: boil one-quart water, remove from heat and dissolve salt, sugar and pink cure into hot water. Add remaining one quart in the form of ice water. Refrigerate the brine to get temperature down to 40°F. Place eye of round into plastic container and cover with brine; cover container, refrigerate 7 days, rotating every couple of days.
Discard brine, rinse the eye of round. Place back in container, cover with cold water, refrigerate one more day to desalinate.
Remove eye of round from water, pat dry, rub evenly with black pepper. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight.
Preheat smoker to 225°F (hickory and applewood preferred). Unwrap eye of round, smoke to 135°F internal temperature, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
Rest one hour, place in zipper locking plastic bag, refrigerate.
Slice by hand or with meat slicer. Pan sear and enjoy. To freeze, vacuum seal or place in zipper locking freezer bags, removing as much air as possible.