I recently learned how to make home-cured corned beef. It comes out so well that I wanted to try and make pastrami, my favorite deli meat. I lived in NYC for 45 years before retiring to Florida, so I think I have a pretty good idea of what real pastrami should taste like. I saw Meathead's recipe based on Katz's deli and thought I'd give it a go. After all, I've eaten at Katz's more times than I can remember, and the idea of making pastrami even close to theirs was very enticing!
It is indeed a lengthy process, but not at all hard. I purchased a 3 lb. brisket from Publix and brined it for 6 days in the refrigerator. This part of the process is mine, and it works great. Brining for an extra day or two will only add to the flavor, but 6 days is just about perfect for corned beef.
By the way, the reason I mention Publix as the supermarket where I bought the brisket is because the cut I got was Choice, not Prime. If you can find someone who can sell you Prime brisket, and you're "in the money", go for it. Remember, Aaron Franklin's secret is the money he spends on his meat. That's one of the reasons his brisket is so amazing.
Here's how to make a full-proof brine. Use 2 cups kosher salt diluted into 1 gallon of water. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 5 smashed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of pickling spice and 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of pink salt. I use something called a Briner Junior that can be purchased from TheBriner.com. If you make corned beef or pastrami, sour garlic or new pickles, or if you brine chicken or fish before cooking, invest in this device. It's a bit pricey but worth it. Otherwise, purchase a small plastic food bucket from a restaurant supply store and use a plate to keep your food submerged.
For the pastrami, I did everything Meathead suggested. I took the brisket out of the brine after 6 days (at this stage it can now officially be called corned beef) and soaked it for a day in water to desalinate the meat a bit. I then used the rub Meathead suggested, applied it to the corned beef, put the meat back in the refrigerator, unwrapped, and waited 2 days. I smoked it in a Smokin'-It electric smoker using cherry wood chips until the meat got to 150º. At a pit temperature of 225º, it took about 1:30 to get to 150º. Then on to the home stretch!
I used a Winco 8-quart pot and a cheap steamer contraption that folds up in a circle and expands to fit any pot. You can find them in any grocery store for $2 and they last a lifetime. Anyway, I steamed the meat for about 2 hours, got it to 203º, and it is fantastic! The rub is a mite spicier than I remember from the Stage, Carnegie, 2nd Avenue Deli or Katz's, but the meat is dead on! Very tender, very tasty, and gobbled up by my family in no time flat! We like it with either deli brown mustard or Russian dressing.
As I said at the beginning of this review, the process is time consuming, but if you are used to eating world-class pastrami and you live in a faraway place like Florida, it is worth the effort. I'm not sure I'd go for a heads-on comparison to Katz's, but I'd be happy to put this pastrami up against any of the garbage I've eaten in Florida. I will definitely be making this recipe again!
It is indeed a lengthy process, but not at all hard. I purchased a 3 lb. brisket from Publix and brined it for 6 days in the refrigerator. This part of the process is mine, and it works great. Brining for an extra day or two will only add to the flavor, but 6 days is just about perfect for corned beef.
By the way, the reason I mention Publix as the supermarket where I bought the brisket is because the cut I got was Choice, not Prime. If you can find someone who can sell you Prime brisket, and you're "in the money", go for it. Remember, Aaron Franklin's secret is the money he spends on his meat. That's one of the reasons his brisket is so amazing.
Here's how to make a full-proof brine. Use 2 cups kosher salt diluted into 1 gallon of water. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, 5 smashed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of pickling spice and 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of pink salt. I use something called a Briner Junior that can be purchased from TheBriner.com. If you make corned beef or pastrami, sour garlic or new pickles, or if you brine chicken or fish before cooking, invest in this device. It's a bit pricey but worth it. Otherwise, purchase a small plastic food bucket from a restaurant supply store and use a plate to keep your food submerged.
For the pastrami, I did everything Meathead suggested. I took the brisket out of the brine after 6 days (at this stage it can now officially be called corned beef) and soaked it for a day in water to desalinate the meat a bit. I then used the rub Meathead suggested, applied it to the corned beef, put the meat back in the refrigerator, unwrapped, and waited 2 days. I smoked it in a Smokin'-It electric smoker using cherry wood chips until the meat got to 150º. At a pit temperature of 225º, it took about 1:30 to get to 150º. Then on to the home stretch!
I used a Winco 8-quart pot and a cheap steamer contraption that folds up in a circle and expands to fit any pot. You can find them in any grocery store for $2 and they last a lifetime. Anyway, I steamed the meat for about 2 hours, got it to 203º, and it is fantastic! The rub is a mite spicier than I remember from the Stage, Carnegie, 2nd Avenue Deli or Katz's, but the meat is dead on! Very tender, very tasty, and gobbled up by my family in no time flat! We like it with either deli brown mustard or Russian dressing.
As I said at the beginning of this review, the process is time consuming, but if you are used to eating world-class pastrami and you live in a faraway place like Florida, it is worth the effort. I'm not sure I'd go for a heads-on comparison to Katz's, but I'd be happy to put this pastrami up against any of the garbage I've eaten in Florida. I will definitely be making this recipe again!
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