Meathead Katz Pastrami Ripoff

[CosmicMiami]

So I decided to do the pastrami after a friend had done one too.

4.3# brisket, cut the point off and put it in the soak. Had a little difficulty with the proportions as the full gallon of water seemed like A LOT.

9 days in the brine soak turning every day.

Desalinate soak for a full 12 hours.

Dry brine for four days because I had some other things to do.

6 hours in the smoker today. Temps were a little erratic at the beginning but I'm figuring out that the warmer the MEB30 gets, the better the controller works. She ranged from 200 to 255 today while I was chasing the box temp.

Meat temp got to 165 before I pulled it off. I know, it's warmer than the recommendation but I had to go to the liquor store as the wife had a lush GF over the other night while I was at work and I didn't realize we were out of rum. Put it in foil to chill as I will steam in a couple days. I couldn't resist taking a small piece off the end to taste. Pretty peppery. I'm guessing after the rest and steam and slicing with the hunks of meat the pepper will be attenuated.

This is not a process for an impatient person folks! Took a pic but can't upload because it's too big. Not the meat. The pic.

[EdF]

Ah, but the payoff for your patience!

[Jerod Broussard]

Did you dry brine AFTER you desalinated?? CosmicMiami

[David Parrish]

It'll be less peppery when you eat it with rye bread. Also there is no dry brine step so I fear you may have over salted.

[CosmicMiami]

It'll be less peppery when you eat it with rye bread. Also there is no dry brine step so I fear you may have over salted.

No salt in the dry brine. It was the rub recipe given.

[CosmicMiami]

Did you dry brine AFTER you desalinated?? CosmicMiami

It was the rub. No salt at all.

[Jerod Broussard]

Whew, I thought you resalinated.

[David Parrish]

No salt in the dry brine. It was the rub recipe given.

Good! For the rub, did you freshly crack the pepper and use a large grind setting? I've found if you use the ground pepper you get at the store it's too dense and you end up with too much pepper if you follow the recipe.

[Huskee]

....BUT...what kind of rum did you get??

[CosmicMiami]

Good! For the rub, did you freshly crack the pepper and use a large grind setting? I've found if you use the ground pepper you get at the store it's too dense and you end up with too much pepper if you follow the recipe.

I did grind my own pepper, coarse. I'm not that concerned. After the steam and once it gets mixed around it should be okay.