Pastrami advice

[jfmorris]

I am going to toss THIS out here if you have a way to cook sous-vide:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/beef-steak-brisket-roasts-prime-rib-etc/148541-svq-pastrami-perfected#post148541

While I agree that the source of the brisket (a pre-corned flat of unknown grade) could be the issue, I also think that smoking all the way can dry it out.

I've been following the above advice for most of my pastrami, whether done from scratch or a store bought corned beef flat/point. I smoke until it is about 160, then pull, VACUUM SEAL, and stick it in the fridge until the day I serve. Then I run 4 hours at 195F for the SV, slice, and serve. It comes out amazing.

In fact, I have a chuck in the freezer that I may just do this process with....

[Troutman]

Dave's recipe is solid for sure.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

If you consistently fail, it's either your protein source or your thermometers are wrong (or you're pulling way too early or way too late), or maybe you aren't resting long enough?

As other said sous vide is pretty fail safe... but if you don't have that option you could also chill after the rest and then reheat with a steam basket the next day which would moisten things up a tad.

[TripleB]

I would like to try to make pastrami via the SV route. I've made corned beef by SV and it was very good.

I've made pastrami using a store bought corned beef. Here are my tips (that might also be in the Amazing ribs recipe, but I did not look at it).

1. I only use the store bought corned beef point for pastrami. I don't use a flat. Too tough.
2. I desalinate the point for 3 days. Change the water frequently the first day, twice a day after that.
3. Heavy rub.
4. Smoke for 4 hours (target range 250-280 degrees) to bring internal temp up to around 150-160 degrees.
5. Wrap beef in butcher paper and into 300d oven and bring internal temp up to 204-208 degrees. Should be probe tender.
6. Wrap butcher paper pastrami in towel and into cooler for an hour or so.
7. Put wrapped pastrami into refrigerator over night.
8. Next day, slice pastrami thinly, steam and make a sammy. I love to serve pastrami sammys with Matzo Ball soup.

My notes said, "Delicious! Still a lot of work for a good sammy....but fun!!"

[jfmorris]

It is a lot of work. That’s why I won’t do it unless it’s a full brisket or butt (porkstrami). Not worth it for a couple of pounds.

[johnec00]

I do pastrami more or less following Clint Cantwell's Smoked Sous Vide Pastrami Recipe from the free site. The difference is that I make the corned beef from scratch, usually brisket while Clint uses store bought corned beef. I make the corned beef using an equilibrium cure process that allows control of the amount of salt, eliminates the need for soaking and is insensitive to cure time as long as it meets the minimum. We prefer 1.8% salt that is considerably less than Meathead's corned beef recipe on the free site. I usually use a equilibrium dry cure like what realdocBBQ describes, but I've tried an equilibrium wet cure like Meathead suggests . . . didn't really notice much difference.

All that aside, the sous vide - smoke process works really well for me.

Here's a recent choice flat:

And prime tri-tip

[realdocBBQ]

Very nice, man! Great looking pastrami!

[BBQPhil]

This is what I began with.

https://www.zingermans.com/Product/zingermans-first-cut-corned-beef/M-LCB

Not inexpensive - $170 mail order for about 10 pounds. The resukts were amazing, but after shrinkage I ended up with about 5 pounds, costing me about the same as buying sliced pastrami from a local deli

[Jerod Broussard]

I just dropped a 2lb chuck roast into the cure. Saturday morning at 0230-ish it'll get desalinated until noon-ish. Then rubbed until the Sunday smoke.

[Troutman]

Just follow any one of the recipes on this site and you should be good. Pastrami and corned beef are not difficult to make. I've made pastrami from aboput every cut of beef there is and have not failed yet. Here's beef ribs;




Here's Wagyu chuck;



Back to chuckie again (with a little help from his friends);



So keep trying and you will succeed. Then you can post your Rueben sandwich results !!! Good luck !!1

[Richard Chrz]

When i see the word pastrami, your name pops up first!

[realdocBBQ]

Have ya tried kalbi-cut/flanken pastrami? I did that and it was good stuff. Made stir-fry out of it. Prolly not the most appropriate utilization, but it was interesting, nonetheless.

[jfmorris]

WOW STEVE! All I can say is I truly miss seeing your AMAZING food pictures and recipes on a more regular basis. EVERYTHING above has me drooling and ready to go cure SOMETHING and pastramify the heck out of it.... And I need to grill some shrimp...