Corned beef packer brisket

Cookinbob

I have been drafted to egg a full corned beef packer for a St. Pats party next weekend.   I am thinking Oak and Hickory for the smoking wood.   Has anybody done this before?  What IT would you recommend cooking to?

Legume

It's a corned beef brisket - how large?  The largest I've seen is maybe six pounds? I just cooked one on Tuesday that was 4 lbs.  Smoked at 280ish for about 5 hours, pulled it at 175, foil and fridge overnight then 60 min in the pressure cooker and it was fantastic pastrami.  I used DP raising the steaks and a few other things for rub.  I used pecan and cherry, usually use oak and pecan.

Search for Thirdeye's pastrami thread - full instructions there.

JohnInCarolina

My advice: give the corned beef to a homeless person and secure a normal packer.

Cookinbob

Rest depot has full packers, 12 lbs or so. Gotta do corned beef for this party. If I don't do it will be braised in the oven

Legume

Full corned packers?  Never seen that, now I gotta go get one - although it would never fit in my pressure cooker

smokeyj

Cookinbob said:

Rest depot has full packers, 12 lbs or so. Gotta do corned beef for this party. If I don't do it will be braised in the oven

What was the cost per pound at your depot? I couldn't download the flyer today see if it was in the add.

SmokeyPitt

I found this:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123539

If it is already corned you could consider making pastrami, which is just smoked corn beef with added spices.   Here is another link for pastrami:

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/close_to_katzs_home_made_pastrami.html

Note there is also a link on that page to make your own corn beef from a raw, uncured brisket.  If your beef is already corned you don't have to worry about those steps.  I think soaking the corned beef to remove some salt is a key step. 

Legume

Here is the link to @Thirdeye's site.  Tons of info on making pastrami from corned beef (smoking it).  It's very comprehensive, good guidance on soaking to get rid of excess salt from the curing, different ways to 'finish' the pastrami, etc.  Worth the read.  I bought two pressure cookers because of this write-up.

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/05/beef-pastrami.html

Cookinbob

I have to go over and check the price, did not pay attention on the last visit.  Hope they have them!   As for Pastrami, I did that last year from a couple of small corned beef flats with excellent results.  I will probably rub this one for Pastrami also. 

 Again, I am cooking this for a neighbors St. Pats party, so won't go too crazy.  I think she is going to braise a coupe of flats in the oven as she always does (5 of them last year), I will keep a part of this one for myself.

Now back to my original question::: What IT do you think I should cook to?  This stuff will not see a pressure cooker

Legume

if 100% of the cook is in the egg, then I would foil it at maybe 180 and let it go another hour maybe and check the consistency?  I think you want to foil, you want that moisture toward the end of the cook.  I've never finished one on the egg, so never check the temp, I test with a bamboo skewer after the pressure cooker and if not tender enough, crank it up for another run.

Cookinbob

smokeyj said:

Cookinbob said:

Rest depot has full packers, 12 lbs or so. Gotta do corned beef for this party. If I don't do it will be braised in the oven

What was the cost per pound at your depot? I couldn't download the flyer today see if it was in the add.

I went to Restaurant Depot today, they had several, the one we picked up was 17 lbs and was just under $4.00 per lb.  Pretty reasonable I think considering they are $5.99 for flats at BJ's.  They had a 25 lb one that would have looked impressive on the XL!  I will be smoking this next Saturday