Pastrami

FrankC

I haven't posted a cook in a long time, so I thought I'd share the pastrami I made this week. This is the recipe I used: http://bit.ly/gR4Mwm

I started out with a 4 lb corned beef. Here is is going into it's first soak on Wednesday.


Then, after six water changes over 48 hours, I was left with this.


Scored to mark the direction of the grain.


Seasoned


After an overnight rest, on the medium at 250 dome with some pecan for smoke


It took longer than I expected to bring it up to 170 before pulling it. I suspect that I hit my plateau early, because it sat at 156 degrees for about 2 hours. Here is just before an overnight rest


and sliced and ready for sammies!


Turned out great! This is a great recipe; give it a try, I'm sure you'll like it!

fc

eenie meenie

Frank, your pastrami looks delicious! You're going to have some great sandwiches.

Just before your post came on line I completed my order for Penzey's corned beef pickling spices as I plan to make to make corned beef brisket for St Patrick's day. Now after reading your post, maybe I'll get some prepared corn beef to make ThirdEyes pastrami.

bubba tim

When is lunch? :woohoo: :woohoo: Nice cook!

FrankC

Thanks Rebecca, that's kind of how I ended up making the pastrami. I was at costco, and they had the corned beef brisket flats out for St. Patty's day...got me thinking that I hadn't made pastrami in a while. The first sammy was great!

fc

FrankC

Bubba Tim,

Just finished the first sammy....better than I expected!

fc

Da Kine Green BBQ

OOOOOOhhhh Yeah! Pastrami is my favorite thing, will give that a try!! Thanks for posting that!

NC-CDN

Great looking cook. Nice one.

DMurf

That would not last long at my house... :woohoo: Great cook I will have to get some packer cuts of brisket for St. Patty's.

Evilone

Guys - I always thought pastrami started as corned beef but I was corrected a few years ago when I took a chef cooking class series. Corned beef is a wet cure. Pastrami is a dry cure involving spices and Morton tenderquik ( or another comparable cure ) that is pressed into the brisket (or other meat - we did duck breast which was amazing) and put under pressure ( a few cans worth of weight) in the fridge for a week. Then the cure is rinsed off, a new layer of spices is put on for the crust and then smoked.

I just bought my first egg and this is one of the first things ill be making in a couple of weeks when it's delivered. Ill post the results.

Boilermaker Ben

Er, corned beef can be dry cured too. I've heard from several sources that "corn" actually refers to the grains of salt used to cure the beef. And pastrami can be brined. I'd be very curious to hear how many delis dry-cure their pastrami, and how many wet-brine them.
I'd also be curious to hear how many delis actually have a different brine for their pastrami vs. corned beef, and how many simply use the same brine.

Here's a recent discussion on corned beef, with pics of results from dry vs. wet cures:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/how-to-make-corned-beef-st-patricks-day-simmering-brisket-meat-the-food-lab.html

Bacchus

I just did one as well. It was pretty much a miirror image of yours, and since I'm having camera issue's.....
I was pleasantly surprised in how good it was. I will be doing this more often, maybe keeping some sliced in the freezer for a weeknight sammie.

2Fategghead

FrankC, Great post I may have to try this sometime.

FrankC

Thanks for looking...I know it's not "true" pastrami, but it did taste damn good! Give it a try, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
td

Egg Juju

Frank... man that Pastrami looks good... Hard to beat a pastrami sammich!