Pastrami - aluminum pressure cooker

Legume

Does anyone know if using an aluminum pressure cooker would be too reactive for pastrami, or is the acidity of the corned been more or less neutralized after smoking?

nolaegghead

Pastrami isn't very acidic.  It's just salty. Most cooked food is salted and the cookware is subsequently salty.  Unless you're Olive Garden, don't worry about the salinity of the food you're cooking versus the reactivity towards salt of the cookware.

Legume

ok, so reactivity to salt, not acidity is what I need to worry about.  soooooo, is that a thumbs up for aluminum pressure cooker or thumbs down for pastrami?

I don't have a pressure cooker, but someone in the neighborhood is listing an aluminum one for cheap.  I really only want one for finishing pastrami.

nolaegghead

Ok, I met my ex-wife at Olive Garden, so that's why I'm being mean to them.  That only lasted a year and it was over 24 years ago.   That and they are complete idiots of a company.

Legume

I've only been to an olive garden once, and only to a red lobster once.  the olive garden was to prove a point and I was just being polite going to the red lobster when I was invited.  neither serve pastrami, so I can't ask them about an aluminum pressure cooker, not that I would want their answer anyway.

nolaegghead

Aluminum pressure cooker is a go for anything you want to eat cooked in it, except acidic foods, like stuff with vinegar. 

Fun times here:
http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/09/15/darden-response-on-olive-garden-is-missing-a-key-ingredient-salt/

Skiddymarker

Agree with Nola, pressure cooking pastrami, not an issue that I can see. It's tomatoes and vinegar or lemon that if eaten daily might cause some concern. I use the aluminum cooker to do chicken and au jus from beef ribs, but when doing high acid sauces, they go into the SS cooker. 

Legume

ha - that's funny, not salting the water to get a better warranty.  sniff, sniff, smells like a dying company to me. 

I probably won't ask the neighbor about a warranty on the $15 pressure cooker, especially with all of the salty beef I'll be tossing in there.

thanks for the info.

fishlessman

i use mine to finish pastrami, mine didnt have a rack in the bottom so i pile in some spoons to get the pastrami out of the liquid

WeberWho

I just did pastrami a few weeks ago with my egg and pressure cooker. Thirdeye has a great recipe for it.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1170729/corned-beef-brisket-pastrami