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Lazy Man's Pastrami

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    Lazy Man's Pastrami

    Rolf’s latest Corned beef to Pastrami Magic - December 2022

    Recipe is for 3 corned beef points of 3-4 Lbs each

    - ~10 pounds of good corned beef. Points preferred but flats are ok too.

    -Charcoal suitable for a 8-10 hour cook

    -Smoking wood. I recommend equal parts Apple and Cherry. Optionally one or two chunks of Pecan.

    -Rye, pumpernickel or swirled combo bread

    -Brown or Dijon Mustard

    Optional
    -Swiss Cheese slices

    -Coarse country mustard

    -Spices
    12 tablespoons fresh black pepper kernels (Tellicherry black recommended)
    10 tablespoons coriander seeds
    9 teaspoons garlic powder
    6 teaspoons onion powder
    3 teaspoons caraway seeds
    3 teaspoons Juniper berries

    Optional
    3 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

    1. Measure out the spices and divide into equal portions. Using a spice grinder (AKA Chopper style coffee grinder) grind half the spices until they are medium fine (it will take more than 2 loads, just makes sure half is coarse and half fine). Grind the rest of the spices to be medium coarse. Combine the coarse and finer mixtures.

    2. Take the corned beef and place in a large stock pot or bucket and fill with cool water. Every hour change the water out for fresh water. Soak for at least 2 hours (if the corned beef is thawed) or 4-5 hours (if the corned beef is frozen).

    3. Pat the corned beef dry.

    4. Using a large spoon shake the spice mixture on the corned beef pieces so there is a thick layer on both sides, and all edges. Place on a dry tray and refrigerate uncovered over night or longer (I doubt longer makes a difference).

    5. Start your smoker set up with enough fuel for 8-10 hours of cooking. Regulate the temperature to 225 to 250 degrees. If using something other than a kamado grill I recommend a water tray.

    6. Once the smoke has changed from white to blue put the meat on and note the time.

    7. Smoke for 4 hours.

    8. Wrap the meat in butcher’s paper or parchment paper. (Foil is an alternative). Insert remote reading thermometer in the thickest part of the biggest meat.

    9. Cook until the center of the largest piece reaches 197-199 degrees. This typically takes another 5 hours.

    10. Allow to cool. Ideally refrigerate or even freeze over-night.

    11. While still cool slice thinly (a slicer really helps). Sprinkle the slices with bits of the smoked rub that has fallen off the meat. Thin slices will make it go further .

    12. Wrap sandwich sized piles, with just a it of water sprinkled, in wet paper towels and warm in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, or if you have a deli steamer heat with steam.

    13. Assemble sandwiches and enjoy​. I tend to go with raw bread, but browning up the sandwich on the griddle is awesome too.

    TIPS

    - if you run out of fuel, just put the wrapped meat in an oven at 225 degrees. The smoking part is over so it really isn't cheating.

    - With a medium big green egg and a Spider with a pizza stone instead of a conveggtor, you have enough room to put these in a rib rack and have plenty of space. Put small crumpled foil balls between then so they don't touch.

    - Don't use Mesquite or Hickory. They are too strong. Maple is an option but I prefer it for other things. Apple and or Cherry works very well IMHO.

    -The soaking serves to reduce the salt, but also opens up the surface layer so the spices stick better. Depending on your salt tolerance, and the particular corned beef, you may want to soak longer. I tend to like salty, but without soaking most brands are just too salty.

    - You can tweak the ratio of pepper to coriander, just make the total 22 tablespoons. More pepper makes it hotter, more coriander give it more of that special "pastrami taste". My next batch will be 10 T pepper and 12 Y coriander to see what I think. While I love mustard seed, I have come to think it drowns out the subtlety of the caraway and juniper so I probably won't be using it in the rub the future.


    -I usually add a very thin layer of Mayo to the bottom slice of bread as sacrilegious as that may be!

    - Don't forget to save some for pastrami hash.
    Last edited by RolfTaylor; March 24, 2023, 06:26 PM.

    #2
    I wouldn't call starting with storebought corned beef a lazy person's approach to delicious pastrami. It can be a smart move.

    I actually like getting the corned beef on sale after St. Patty's day and sticking it in the freezer for a pastrami lollapalooza later on in the summer when the kids come to visit. The two daughters and their husbands practically armwrestle for the last piece.

    I've made a lot of Meathead's Close to Katz' recipe pastrami, both with storebought corned beef and with home-cured brisket. Both are delicious but honestly, from my experience, the storebought-based pastramis are much more consistent in texture and tenderness.

    Thanks a bunch for providing your recipe. I wish corned beef points were more readily available in our area. When I find some, I pounce!

    Kathryn

    Comment


      #3
      I have yet to attempt making pastrami but I think this is definitely the way to go, will have to give this a go soon.

      Comment


        #4
        I think this is the smart way to start to make pastrami. Like Kathryn, we buy points and flats around St. Patty's day when they go on sale. I usually get 4-5 of each to last through the year and they always come out really good when I do them in one of my smokers.

        We do like the sandwiches with grilled rye bread and swiss but some breakfast hash is a special treat. Now that the kids have moved out we actually have some left in the morning to make the hash.

        Comment


        • Michael_in_TX
          Michael_in_TX commented
          Editing a comment
          That is an excellent idea. I need to start doing that.

        • RolfTaylor
          RolfTaylor commented
          Editing a comment
          Yes, I first heard about the idea of Pastrami hash here and it is an excellent idea.

        #5
        I have yet to make my own corned beef for a later water-to-wine-like conversion to pastrami. Your approach is sound.

        Comment


          #6
          I buy corned beef after St Patty Day, last year pickings were slim. All I could find were flats, not a single point no mater were I looked. I ended up with 6 large, fairly thick, flats. We save those until we have our Octoberfest gathering each fall. I usually end up making pastrami for at least 30 people. Our daughter bakes rye bread for the sandwiches and a friend sets up his big deep fryer to make potato chips. We never have any trouble getting a good turn out.

          Comment


          • RolfTaylor
            RolfTaylor commented
            Editing a comment
            Sounds like fun. Yes, last year pries were up and picking somewhat slim. Still a better deal than any other time of year.

          #7
          Originally posted by fzxdoc View Post
          I wouldn't call starting with storebought corned beef a lazy person's approach to delicious pastrami. It can be a smart move.

          <SNIP>

          Thanks a bunch for providing your recipe. I wish corned beef points were more readily available in our area. When I find some, I pounce!

          Kathryn
          I too take advantage of the St Patrick's day sale. You just can't get better values if you have a freezer. The amount of salt varies brand to brand though.

          Comment


          • fzxdoc
            fzxdoc commented
            Editing a comment
            You're right about the salt level. I keep a log of the sodium content and how long I soak the corned beef in the prep state. I'm hoping to end up with a chart that roughly correlates the length of soak time with the amount of salt in the meat.

            Kathryn

          #8
          Yep I keep telling the Mrs I want to make corned beef so I can make pastrami but it’s just too easy to start with store bought and I don’t lose valuable fridge space for weeks at a time.
          I just checked and I’m down to 2 flats to last till the after the party sale. I think I bought 6 last years for .79 a lb.

          Comment


            #9
            Excellent write up and recipe,

            Comment


              #10
              I only use corned beef points. First I soak for about 5 days in a spice mixture because my wife isn't pleased with salty food. Then I coat it with brown sugar, coriander and black pepper, smoke for about 4-5 hours to 160, pull it off and steam it for about 90 minutes. The texture of this is amazing IMHO. Still some chew, but very soft and moist.
              You can freeze it after steaming, then either steam it to warm it up or, our favorite, slice it and cook it crisp like bacon for breakfast.

              Comment


              • RolfTaylor
                RolfTaylor commented
                Editing a comment
                Hmm steam. Interesting. Just this most recent batch I had the idea of cooking like bacon. It surprises me this is not standard Jewish fare. That said, after I had that inspiration and tried it, I decided I prefer hash. Thanks

              #11
              Rolf, thank you for posting your recipe. I did a hybrid pastrami, combining your recipe and mine (But more of yours than mine). Chilled last night and sliced this morning. It came out delicious. Looking forward to steaming it tonight for Pastrami Sammys and some Matzo ball soup

              Thanks again for posting.
              Attached Files

              Comment


              • RolfTaylor
                RolfTaylor commented
                Editing a comment
                Yum! I wish I had had more room in the freezer. Only got 6 corned beef points to last me for the year!

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