I agree that lobster is over rated. I did not like it much even when i got it free. (Dove for Lobsters at the Cape Henlopen light a couple times.)
Dried beef is very much like jerky, a slight difference in the cut of meat and process, but yes very similar.Dried beef is almost never hard and chewy though.
I learned a long time ago, from a ship's cook, to use certain meats for flavorings and garnishes, for instance, shredded dried beef tastes very much like bacon bits when sprinkled over salads included in omlets, etc. Mrs. likes "fried" green beans, sauteed in bacon grease with finely chopped bacon bits. A very close dish, is green beans sauteed in butter with shredded dried beef added. We make a dish in which smoked sausage is chopped and fried in a pan until the edges start to brown and carmalize. Then add a spoon ful of flour to make a roux and diced potatoes and enough water to cover. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and the broth thickened. An almost identical tasting dish can be made with thick sliced bacon or butter and dried beef. I have even had it made with chunks of Lebanon bologna. (which is like a giant smoked sausage made of beef.)
