Beef Sirloin Roast Dog Treats

[Kathy's Smokin']

I've been running out of the meat trimmings that I freeze for dog treats, a sure indication I need to smoke another pig leg soon. It's been a while since I made him dried beef sticks, though, I missed eye of round on sale at $2.XX/# the last few times, that's my usual beef stick cut. Sirloin Tip roast was on sale for $3.88/# so I decided to buy it and make the poor starving farker some treats.

First of all, this is my boy Raffy/Raphael. He has an AC/DC thing going with the ffs and phs.

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This is what I brought home from the grocery store. I smoked it au natural but it was positioned under two traditionally-raised chickens for us that would have dripped flavour on it throughout the smoke. The chickens were seasoned with dry spices I put together, no salt, no fake stuff. Didn't mark down the time or temp, temp was probably 250°F for about four or five hours until well done. Initial weight was 2.085 kg or 4.6 lbs. and cost $17.83.

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I found through trial and error it's easiest to dry dog treats in the oven from a well-done roast than from raw pieces. The meat takes up significantly less room which is important when doing a larger amount in an oven with two racks.

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Dried them in the oven overnight at 200°F for about 14 hours. I make sure the meat sticks "snap" when I break them to know they are properly dried. I also leave them open to air in a pan for an additional 3 or 4 days to confirm dryness, it would be painful to see mould growing on them after all that work and money. There are stored in a vintage CorningWare casserole dish that allows some air movement. I make most of my dog treats because the grain-free, meaty kind are so expensive. Cheaper chicken jerky brands connected to China have made many dogs permanently ill or caused death (due to melamine poisoning) giving me trust issues with many jerky manufacturers. I don't have to wash my hands after touching these treats like so many brands warn, in fact, I can eat them myself….. if I wanted to.

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I worked out the math and found the treats cost me $1 per finished ounce. That's about half the price or less of better jerky brands and I know exactly what is in them. Peace of mind for less, now that's a bargain!

Thanks for looking!

[Smoking Piney]

Your dog must absolutely love you. :-D

[Kathy's Smokin']

He does. :becky:

[Randy3269]

That's not a bad idea....thanks for sharing.

[WareZdaBeef]

call me crazy, but i think the dog would have rather had that sirloin raw. More nutrition and less work to boot.

[cowgirl]

Lucky dog, I bet he loved those! Well done Kathy!

[KevinJ]

Thats a great idea thanks for posting.

[THoey1963]

Interesting idea. Thanks for sharing...

[Mikeinctown]

When I read the title I thought maybe you were introduced to my ex wife's cooking.

Add a little marinade and you'd have some tasty people treats too.

[tish]

Great job, sistah! Bet Raffy boy loves them... and you! Is he on any kind of restricted diet? The treats I make for my three little clowns are either peanut butter or vegetable based. They mostly like PB and pumpkin the best, but I can see after our visit that we'll be adding jerky treats or will have to suffer the resulting dog riot as a consequence. :wink:

[LongIslandEd]

Nice!. I smoke and dry the skin every time I make a pulled pork. They love it! Thanks for the photos!

[blazinfire]

Kathy that is brilliant! Bet he's one happy camper now! We have a small dog, This is a dog treat me and the dog can fight over HA!!! Better not let the wife see this thread or She'll want me to make dog treats for our dog! That's ok tho, sounds like a great project and like you said, You know exactly what your feeding your dog. Its not a bunch of filler and bull crap!

[Ron_L]

That's a very lucky (and cute) dog!

[Kathy's Smokin']

call me crazy, but i think the dog would have rather had that sirloin raw. More nutrition and less work to boot.

I won't call you crazy, brother, but I will say Raffy's not that fond of raw meat unless it's a dead rabbit or other animal outside. Now his sister the cat, she's a raw meat fanatic!

Great job, sistah! Bet Raffy boy loves them... and you! Is he on any kind of restricted diet? The treats I make for my three little clowns are either peanut butter or vegetable based. They mostly like PB and pumpkin the best, but I can see after our visit that we'll be adding jerky treats or will have to suffer the resulting dog riot as a consequence. :wink:

Maybe your three can teach him to like peanut butter. :laugh: He isn't on a restricted diet, he's a really healthy guy, but I do control what he eats to keep him healthy (i.e. real food, very little grain). We have almost no vet bills, mostly shots and revolution. He'll be 9 years old in June.

[Shagdog]

Awesome, Kathy! Lucky pup for sure!

[Yendor]

Our dog gets the homemade pumkin/peanut butter treats too(cookies I call them, I could eat them in a pinch) so I am sure the wife will want this next as well. He's just a little fella though, but he loves his treats.

[MisterChrister]

Kathy, you hardly EVER post in Qtalk! And when you do, you make Scooby Snacks fit for me, then give em to your pooch?!? ZOIKS!!! ShaggyChrister is SAD! :mrgreen:

[Kathy's Smokin']

^ :laugh:

I'm not adverse to making MisterChrister treats! I'd jazz them up, too!

It's tough leaving the Woodpile, you can check out any time you like, but….

[Happy Hapgood]

Lucky Pup! I went with Ann one time to Petsmart and she picked up Jaybob's usual stuff. I got sticker shock! We could have bought steak cheaper! Those look great!

[Big George's BBQ]

If I bark and try to wag my tail will you send me a treat too :-P

[Kathy's Smokin']

^ Most definitely, brother. :biggrin1:

[grimsrud]

I buy chicken leg quarters with back attached for $.68 a lb . whole chickens @$.98 lb when they are on sale.....throw them in a 15 quart stock pot; cover with water and let them simmer on the back of the stove for a few hours. I pick the bones out, ladle 2 cups of broth in his water bowl and mix the "pulled" meat with his kibble. It last's over a week and fuzz face loves it!

[Kathy's Smokin']

^ That's a great idea! I know he loves broth from giving him some from what I make for our cooking but I've never thought of making broth just for him. That's a cheap way to give him treats that are actually food. Thanks, brother.

I've only made chicken jerky for him once, I used breast meat like the dog treat companies do. Using legs with backs attached would be smarter, cheaper and more flavourful, and I could save the bones and make broth. This just gets better, thank you again. :thumb:

[grimsrud]

Your welcome. :)