Nyob Zoo [Hello] Everyone!
Today, my mom and I will be showing how we like to make smoked beef: Nqaj Nyuj Qhaa. Nqaj Nyuj means beef and Qhaa refers to as the cooking method. Beef is sliced into strips, seasoned, and cooked over wood charcoal for over 1 hr to dry it out a bit and give it a nice smoky flavor. In the Hmong culture, this is a way for us to preserve and store beef when a big chunk of it is given to us by a family member during an event/special occasion. It can also be made any time of the year when we crave it 🙂
Smoked beef is stored in a bag and be put into the freezer so it can used in soups, stir fry, salads, or just eat it as is. It’s fairly simple as long as you have the ingredients and equipments to do so. So I hope you all can give it a try and stay tune for my future videos! I’ll be showing you ways you can use up smoked beef.
Happy Cooking!
Main Ingredients
Beef: We love using beef chuck since it has a good fat to meat ratio. Keeping the fat on gives it flavor when it’s done cooking. You can use other part of the beef if you desire. Chuck or brisket is preferred.
Curing salt is recommended to tenderize the beef and also give the beef a nice red color when it’s done cooking
My mom loves using this beef flavor spice mix to season the beef. It’s basically the MSG. If you can’t find the Miwon brand, you can use mushroom seasoning, msg, or the CJ Dasida brand. It’ll work just fine.
Season well and marinade overnight for the best flavor
Using mesquite charcoal to cook the beef. Mesquite charcoal gives the beef a really nice smokey flavor.
Hang on stainless steel hooks and cook for 1 hr
Another way to cook the beef if you don’t have hooks.
After 1 hr, it is ready!
Look at that! YUM!
Store in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer to be used later 
Enjoy!
-Cindy Her (C.HerCreations)
Ingredients
- 4 lb beef chuck (slice into 5-6 strips)
- 1 Tbsp tender curing salt
- 1 tsp mushroom seasoning or beef seasoning (Miwon Spice Mix brand or CJ Dasida brand)
- Mesquite charcoal
Instructions
1) Slice the beef chuck into 5-6 strips. Season with the curing salt and beef seasoning or with mushroom seasoning. Cover well, and marinade in the fridge overnight for 12 hrs.
2) Get your grill ready with regular charcoal or mesquite charcoal. Hang the beef on hooks and let it hang over the charcoal. This will allow the beef to slowly cook and absorb all the smoky flavor. Let it hang and smoke for a good 1 hr at a good 350'F maintain temperature.
***(If you don't have hooks and can't hang it over your grill, feel free to cook the beef right on the rack at a maintain temperature of 350'F for about 20 minutes each side or until it gets a good smoky flavor. Then take it off the heat and cool. This method is faster but doesn't dry out the beef as much. But it still has a good smoky charcoal flavor.***
3) After a good hour, take the beef off the grill and transfer into a bowl to cool. Remove the hooks, and place the smoked beef into zip-lock bags to be stored in the freezer for later use.
It can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Keep the fat on the beef! Fat is flavor! 🙂
