My newest pastrami experiment

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

So I'm going for it again. This is my 3rd or 4th attempt.

Last time, it was a store-bought pre-cured brisket point, and after soaking, it was a little undersalted and the pepper was too prominent - as it was on my previous home-cured version.

This time, I've got 2 pre-cured points, I soaked them about 8 hours, changed water maybe 3 times. I then put them in the smoker with only a pair of smoking tubes (no heat) to get some smoke in them for about 2 hours, now they are in the sous vide bath at 150°F. They'll probably be in there around 21 hours or so, I'll pull them, rub them - (some coriander and pepper and garlic, but not heavy on the pepper as this annoys me on both pastrami AND brisket) and then throw them back in the smoker a couple hours or so.

I'm hoping it turns out ok. I know I'd like to have more time in the SV bath, but I just don't have it. The Wife, The Boy and I are heading out to Eureka Springs fairly early Monday morning, so I've got to have this stuff done for dinner Sunday afternoon.

Thoughts? Any pointers or tips?

[Mr. Bones]

Having not done this yet, all I can do is wish ya good luck, amigo!
Have a great weekend with yer Family; that's the most important thing!

[jgreen]

Sounds like you got a good program given you are just a bit short on time. Bet it will be great.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

Yes, I see people running briskets and pork butts for anywhere from 48-72 hours in sous vide, but I just don't think they HAVE to go that long, surely? I mean. I'm at about...20 hours or so right now, at 150°F. Obviously the meat is safe, having been both cured AND in the sous vide at that temp for this long, but... I can't fathom how it couldn't be at least tender by now??

I wasn't planning on rapid chilling it, just throwing it on the smoker, but I think I might at least try to chill it some in an ice bath for a little while. Just to bring it down under 100°F or so before rubbing it and throwing it back on the smoker. I'll probably do around 350°F or so to try to get some decent bark on it, for a couple of hours. I'll try to report back on how it goes, maybe I'll get some pictures if I have a chance.

Open to more ideas, I've got about 3-4 hours before I pull it from the sous vide, I think.

[EdF]

Chilling should help with more smoke absorption.

[Polarbear777]

72 hours at 135 will be about as tender as 20 hours at 150. Give or take a bit. I have asked about a conversion chart for just this purpose and it doesn’t exist. When I have enough data points I may try to construct it.

In any case I always like to smoke at 350 post SV primarily because it’s fast, and it avoids the stall. You don’t need a stall to slow down the cook and breakdown collagen because you already did that with SV. But you still need to form/reform the bark.

[rickgregory]

Why so complex? Pastrami is kind of simple... cure it (and I'd cure it yourself if you can... it really only needs a week or so in the brine but it lets you control what's in the cure), rub (pepper and coriander) and smoke it.

[Troutman]

Have you tried sous vide pastrami? The result will be your answer.

[rickgregory]

Not yet. I actually have a sous vide chuck finishing on the smoker right now. Might try SV pastrami next though.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I cured it myself once. It was good. Just haven't had time, and the wife doesn't like me taking up too much space in the fridge for now. I need to clear some room in the garage for a "meat fridge".

[EdF]

Then you can get into dry-aging too!

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

That is most DEFINITELY part of the appeal of a dedicated "meat fridge"!

[Troutman]

Also doubles as a dandy beer cooler !!!!

[rickgregory]

I cured it myself once. It was good. Just haven't had time, and the wife doesn't like me taking up too much space in the fridge for now. I need to clear some room in the garage for a "meat fridge".

So what I did in order to minimize space in the fridge was to get a large, flat cambro pan like https://www.cambro.com/Food_Pans_and...9490/1033.aspx with the lid. It's 2-3 inches high and you can stack stuff on it so it doesn't take that much usable space away.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

So these came out pretty dang good, if I must say so. Guests loved them - well, loved one, I should say, the other is still wrapped up in my fridge as I type.

Some observations:

I liked my rub better than Meathead's. I guess I'm not a huge black pepper guy, BBBR and the pastrami rub and SPG rub all are too peppery for me. My rub was just thrown together -

• 2T ground coriander
• 1T ground black pepper
• 1T garlic powder
• 1T mustard powder

I think that was about it. Came out pretty good, I think.

I know the one "point" I sliced up had a good chunk of flat on it, probably. I was suspicious when probing with my Thermopop, as I could tell a difference in the texture, and there was a vein of fat running between them. Then when I got to slicing, it was obvious the grain changed, as well as the texture. Still tasted great, though. I suspect the one in the fridge will have a similar issue, it has a different shape and orientation of the two muscles, but I just think at the packing plant they don't pay much attention or give a damn about truly giving you all point, even though it is labeled as such.

I need to do my own cure again with a Prime packer this time. I've learned a bit more, and pastrami is so delicious, I feel more comfortable doing it again.

Only 24h in the water bath, I think it was fine. The actual point part of the meat was deliciously unctuous and juicy, rendered well. I did it at 150°F, then rapidly chilled it, dried it, rubbed it and threw it back on the smoker at 225°F. Also had 2 smoke tubes going. After 2-3h, they probed like butter (again, on the actual point muscle, the flat was a bit firmer) and were in the mid-high 160°s to 170° or so. I wrapped tightly in foil and placed in a 170°F oven. I sliced the one up about 30 minutes to an hour afterwards.

Everyone raved about it, I was mostly pleased, but again, like most of us, feel there is still some room for improvement. Overall, I was happy with the results this time, it was my best pastrami effort yet, I think, in 3 attempts. 3? I think so... no more than 4, for sure.

[Troutman]

Pictures?

[Troutman]

I just finished one last night. Like Polarbear777 I am a devotee of the lower temp, longer time bath, or 135* at 72 hours. My pastrami never gets over that 135* mark. Yea it takes a ton of time, a week to corn, a couple hours of pre-smoke, 3 days in the bath then a post smoke to re-set the bark. Done this about 5 times in a row (I cut off the thin end of my briskets for this purpose) and I have achieved consistency overall. It ain't broke so I ain't fixin' it. Better than Katz's? I don't know, come on down to Houston and you be the judge.....

[HouseHomey]

That's gorgeous? Just got geesebumps looking at it.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I agree, I'd rather do it lower and slower, but I was in a time crunch. I'll definitely be trying your method.

[EdF]

Hmn, haven't been to Houston in more than a few years (like when chasing contracts on the ISS). You've got me tempted. And I have a buddy in Clear Lake who really needs more convincing that he needs to get himself a KBQ.

[HouseHomey]

Nice write up. Good to know. I can't run a bath for three days without my wife freeking out. Daughter of a fireman and arson investigator. Just my luck.

[Troutman]

Oh so there's no appliances running in your house continuously? Tell her there's a built in safety factor in the circulator, if it catches fire it will fall into the bath and not only get extinguished but tenderized as well !!!

[HouseHomey]

Funny Troutman that's to reasonable. (Too??)

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

Haha, that's funny. Yeah, this was my first 24-hour cook with the Joule and I know my wife asked me 3 or 4 times if I was SURE it was supposed to run overnight. lol. God love her... she sure didn't complain about the final result, though! lol

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

One of the guys I work with told me how his Anova nearly caught fire. He said it was smoking and sizzling and crackling and he unplugged it and threw it outside on the lawn.

This surely made me nervous about leaving one of these running in the future.

[EdF]

Been using SV since 2010 or so, and have never seen this kind of thing. But you did, so I'll go with your assessment.