Beef tendon drying?

[Mafort]

So there’s a butcher in Memphis Indiana who has started saving large amounts of beef tendon for me. Like weekly. My problem now is I’ve put them in a food dehydrator where they’ve been for a day and some change and some of them are still not dehydrating. Is it because theyre greasy or is it because they are thicker than the deer legs I’m used too or am I doing something wrong?

[Marc St Louis]

They should dry.  I've harvested many beef tendons and they always dried fairly easily.  Plenty of air movement is necessary.  They are quite greasy though

[DC]

There is a neck "tendon" in cows that doesn't work. If I'm remembering right it's quite thick. Like more than an inch and at least 3-4 " wide. I asked a butcher for some tendon once and that's what he gave me. When it was dry it shattered like glass when you hit it with a hammer. Leg tendon was fine though.

[Mafort]

I did some research on it and I made sure to ask for leg tendons only. These things are really long. Talking up to 18”-19” long

[Pat B]

Have you taken the sinew bundle out of the sheath that covers it? I think with thick sinew bundles you would get quicker and more even drying if the sinew bundle is at least split in half or more.

[maitus]

I did some research on it and I made sure to ask for leg tendons only. These things are really long. Talking up to 18”-19” long

You should ask him for back tendons. Those are really long.

[Mafort]

Have you taken the sinew bundle out of the sheath that covers it? I think with thick sinew bundles you would get quicker and more even drying if the sinew bundle is at least split in half or more.

Yessir I have. I managed to split them up so I’m hoping they dry a little faster

[Mafort]

I think for the rest of these I need to really really pull back the thinner membrane and fat on these because they’re drying but it’s super slow. And I think the fat on them is what’s keeping them from drying correctly

[Badger]

 I never understood why beef tendon is not used more often. I have never tried it.

[Santanasaur]

Somewhere in the bowyers bible it says beef sinew is really  fatty and not quite the same strength as tendon from a more athletic animal. I haven’t used it for backing but it’s plenty good for wrapping.  You can find it fresh at a lot of asian butcher shops or chinatown grocers. I bet it’s fine  for backing just might need some degreasing

[DC]

I went to a butcher a couple of years back and asked if I could get sinew. he said sure and stood a 5 gal bucket in the corner of the room. Every time they had a piece in their hands it went into the bucket. Two days later the bucket was full. Not one piece was longer than 5". I think it's just the way they butcher beef. it's hard to get them to change.

[Ed Brooks]

Most of the beef back strap sinew is out of reach for us, as it gets left on the meat when cut into steaks mmm.

[stuckinthemud]

Silverskin is a great source of sinew, I think it comes from near rhe ribs. It does need cleaning up though

[PaSteve]

Ed, you are correct. Most of the back sinew on beef gets cut up into steaks. Rib roasts & whole sirloin strips have great sinew but a person would have to remove the fat to get to the sinew..then remove the sinew and tie the fat back on top of the roast before roasting it whole. I don't think too many chefs or meat processors would go to that much trouble unless that sinew would sell for a big price.