Corned Beef Brand

[Schwyy]

pitmaster club,

h​​​​as anyone had experience with Freirich corned beef. I've made pastrami a bunch from scratch but my supermarket carries these year round, so i am curious at the quality so i can use it as a timesaver. let me know, if nobody knows, ill bite the bullet and give my own review!

[STEbbq]

I have not used that brand but I have made pastrami using Aldi corned beef.

It is definitely a trade off between saved time and flavor/quality. The end result is good, but from scratch is noticeably superior.

I have read that folks cure their meat into corned beef then freeze it so whenever they want pastrami, they don’t have to wait the extra 4-5 days as it is closer to ready . This could be a good option too.

[bbqLuv]

Go for it.

[Huskee]

I haven't, can't remember what my local brand is, but I still love using storebought, it's such a flavorful end product regardless, in my opinion.

[shify]

Same. They are super easy to use and pretty damn good.

I'm pretty sure that is one of the brands at a local market.I can usually only find flats but if I come across any points, especially if they go on sale, I load up. Just need to desalinate at least 24 hours as they are quite salty

[klflowers]

I believe I have used that brand. I didn't really pay attention to the label. It was good to me. I haven't done one from scratch yet though.

[Schwyy]

thanks for the advice everyone! I think I'm going to go for it!

[Troutman]

Be careful. They load those products with who knows what. Salt content, looking at the label, seems to be off the charts. I know it’s so easy to rip open a package, slap it on your grill and have pastrami in a day. But I’m still a big proponent of choosing your own protein, corning for 5-6 days with a solution I control and knowing what I’m cooking for my family.

OK I’m stepping down off my soap box. Good luck with your choice, just be sure to soak the hell out of it first !!

[Spinaker]

Along the same lines as Troutman, I would make sure to desalinate that thing. Then rub it down with the pastrami rub and let it sit for a couple of days. i use store bought ones too, they are really good, just not as good as the home brew.

[Murdy]

I assume you soak it in water for a few days, changing the water periodically?

Is there any good information on how much salt you can get out of it.

[Mosca]

I’ve always used store bought corned beef for pastrami. My experience is that the brand name doesn’t matter. Just desalinate for a day, changing the water a time or two. And throw away the little seasoning packet.

Think about it: you making it from scratch with pink salt is exactly the same thing they did with it. Next.