I love having some pastrami in the fridge. My wife likes reuben sandwiches which is a blessing. I've been sticking to the gospel from Amazing Ribs so far to corn the beef, desalt then season//smoke. Zero complaints about flavor.
I am curious about what I should expect as far as texture, if that is the right word. The end result is a very firm piece of meat, slicing it against the grain still produces a fairly dense cut. Nowhere near what a corned beef would be. I suspect this is due to not finishing it in steam?
You're probably right, although it also depends on the cut you're using, and how thin you're slicing. Using a point, I've found I really like it, using a flat, it's too firm for me, really. Although I also don't usually steam it, I have taken to long resting most of my larger cuts like brisket and pork butt, and have had good results with pastrami, too. Resting for 8-12-14 hours at 145-150ºF. The bark does suffer with this method, but the tenderness and juiciness is worth it.
You said you cook and go right to the fridge. Are you eating it cold? The final texture should be soft and bite through. Firmer than regular brisket but not tough or dense. If you aren’t eating right away, I think letting it gently cool down before fridge would be a benefit.
I go back and forth on the steaming to finish but at a minimum I always steam to warm it up out of the fridge.
Cold makes it easy to get nice slices and then I steam it for a few minutes to warm it up.
You never answered the question, which cut of beef are you making pastrami out of? If it's a brisket flat then you're probably either over curing or over smoking producing a dense piece of protein. Try adjusting your methodology or getting a fattier piece of meat like a brisket point. Rendered fat will give you a softer result like realdocBBQ points out.
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