Instructions
Hang the beef muscle upside down to dry after it has been removed from the cow and cleaned.
Stretch the beef muscle out and then braid it or roll it into shape. Before the final drying stage, the bully stick must be formed into shape---once it is dry it gets very tough and cannot be molded into shape.
Bake the formed bully sticks indoors using an oven. This is one method of drying the bully sticks. The baking process is favorable because it gives the sticks incredible toughness and eliminates the ability for any bacteria to form on the surface of the stick.
Set the bully sticks outside to dry in the sun. The sun-baking process is a less costly method because it doesn't use any electricity. However, the sun does not eliminate bacteria, and sticks baked in the sun can have residual odor.
Smoke the bully sticks. The final drying process for sun-baked bully sticks is to smoke them. This dries them out further but also gives them a smoky flavor to mask the odor of the stick.
How to Dry Bully Sticks
Bully sticks are dog treats made from beef muscle. They are a favored treat of dog owners because they are all-natural and do not contain other additives or preservatives. When chewed by dogs, they do not emit a strong odor, unlike many other dog chew treats. The first stage of drying a bully stick occurs indoors when the beef muscle is hung upside down. After the stick has been formed, it undergoes a second drying stage either inside an oven, or outdoors underneath the sun.