Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Pastrami Request & Finished Temperature

thirdeye
thirdeye Posts: 7,428
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
With all of the discussion on pastrami, I’ve got to throw a couple on this weekend too! After a question from Marvin about 160 degrees internal in the original thread, I looked back through my notebook and found several entries from sources that recommend internal temps of 165-170 degrees, two at 180 degrees and two at 185 degrees. [p]I’ve always used a target temp of 180, combined with the fork test for doneness, so I just wanted to re-emphasize that the fork test is the determining factor for me once the brisket leaves the plateau. Don’t want to steer anyone wrong and cause a dry finished product if they use temperature as the gospel.[p]If anyone does one this weekend or in the near future, please post the technique (fat up or down), rack temp, approximate time, pulling temp. and the results. I like this recipe but a little fine tuning can only make it better.
Happy Trails
~thirdeye~

Barbecue is not rocket surgery

Comments

  • Steve-B
    Steve-B Posts: 339
    thirdeye,[p]I have one I just wrapped up to sit overnight. It will go on in the morning. The timing of this couldn't of been better. When I went to the store they had two left on sale for $0.79/lb. I bought them both. I will let you know how they turn out w/ setup details. [p]Steve-B
  • Marvin
    Marvin Posts: 515
    Steve-B,
    You could be our data collector with your one brisket. If you could cut off a piece at 160, 170, 180, and positive fork test (I'm sure all of us would like to know what the correlation is in making pastrami between the temp and fork test). I agree with thirdeye, the fork test determines doneness with a brisket, but deli cut, thin sliced, New York pastrami probably doesn't meet the fork test. If it did, I'm not sure that it could be sliced aas thin as it is. Please let us know the outcome.

  • djm5x9
    djm5x9 Posts: 1,342
    thirdeye:[p]I cook fat down. See my comments in the thread below for some other pastrami thoughts . . .

  • Steve-B, keep us posted on how they do...we are all counting on your evaluation...

  • Marvin, you are correct about the fork test when doing pastrami, it has absolutely no relevance in the finishing of pastrami as pastrami is a totally different finished product than beef brisket.[p]normally pastrami is finished at 160* to 165* to hold a somewhat firmer texture for slicing. it will still be plenty tender because of the effect of the curing agent. eye of the round works well for both pastrami (when cured) and for smoke roasted beef (when brined) finished at these temperatures.[p]reg