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Pastrami Woes

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    Pastrami Woes

    Hi All:

    Well I ventured off into the world of pastrami and really need some guidance! Here is the scenario. I took a raw corned beef brisket about 7kg, ran water over it for a couple of hours and then soaked it in water for 12+ hours. Using a Cookshack SM150, I smoked the brisket over hickory wood at 225F. It was still far from tender after 12-14 hours. Also it was still as salty as the ocean. I am a beginner at this stuff, but when I have smoked a regular brisket it comes out as tender as butter after that amount of time. So then I plopped it into the oven and steamed it for 3 hours. It's still salty as heck and not tender. Now I am going to boil it until the salt level is acceptable and it's tender. I guess I am confused as to the proper way to do this pastrami thing. I saw Meathead's article of Katz's pastrami and my mouth was watering! Sooooo, first attempt ... FAIL! Any guidance I can get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, John

    #2
    When i soak mine i try to change the water every couple of hours

    Comment


    • customtrim
      customtrim commented
      Editing a comment
      What was the meat temp after you smoked it

    #3
    Welcome buckhenry.. Welcome to the pit...never made pastrami so I can't help but welcome...

    Comment


      #4
      A hearty welcome from Illinois.

      Comment


        #5
        Hi there buckhenry and welcome to the Pit! First question ..... did you follow @Meathead's recipe fully? If not, where do you deviate it from it?

        Also, here's a thread with someone else trying to do exactly what you are trying to do: Turn store corned beef into pastrami. Might be some helpful tips and pointers in here for you.

        Comment


        • ecowper
          ecowper commented
          Editing a comment
          Sure, but it is hard to know where the issue is if we don't know how the corned beef was prepped in the first place.

        • ecowper
          ecowper commented
          Editing a comment
          customtrim I would bet that 1. It wasn't soaked long enough and not enough water changes and 2. It wasn't smoked long enough.

        • Craigar
          Craigar commented
          Editing a comment
          ecowper I would have to agree with you. 7kg of corned beef is going to have a huge amount of salt in it compared to the 4-5 pounders I'm used to smoking. For one that big, I would probably have used a 5 gallon bucket to soak it in.

        #6
        Even though you joined some time ago, we'd still love to get an intro from you over in the Introduce Yourself channel when you get a minute. Thank you.

        Comment


          #7
          1. I would change the water at least 3-4 times over a 12 hour period

          2. I would NOT cook based on time. Just because another piece of meat took that long don't think for a second you have a clone. Especially with briskets aka "the kings of inconsistency."

          Comment


            #8
            buckhenry, Welcome to "The Pit"! You are Now Enrolled in the BBQ Univ.! Attendance and Participation are Mandatory! Enjoy "The Pit"!
            Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

            Comment


              #9
              Welcome buckhenry

              Comment


                #10
                Welcome to The Pit.

                Comment


                  #11
                  Welcome buckhenry

                  Comment


                    #12
                    Welcome aboard!!! buckhenry

                    Comment


                      #13
                      Wow, thanks a million for all the welcomes! It's a pleasure to be here and to practice and learn from amateurs and pros alike. I tried to follow Meatheads recipe exactly, but after 16 hours or so the meat had only reached about 185F. The difference in how this salted brisket cooked compared to a plain brisket surprised me. Meathead further described that Katz's finishes off with boiling, so I think I will have to so that to remove more salt and to tenderize. Thanks for all the responses folks.

                      Comment


                        #14
                        I will get back to ya'll with an introduction of myself after I get this thing boiled!

                        Comment


                          #15
                          As far as an introduction, I am a outdoor grill and "smoking" enthusiast from Nova Scotia. As with most from the North, we are a hardy bunch who BBQ throughout the year regardless of ice and snow. I also operate a small, 100 seat restaurant and feature a few of smoked items on the menu. www.roadsidewillies.com.

                          Comment


                          • tbob4
                            tbob4 commented
                            Editing a comment
                            Really nice website for your restaurant.

                          • Danjohnston949
                            Danjohnston949 commented
                            Editing a comment
                            buckhenry, As tbob4 said you have a Nice Web Site and it Looks Like Great Food! I have been everywhere except the Maritime Provinces?
                            From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

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