Pastrami Questions

[Potkettleblack]

I have an upcoming post. Waiting for completion... it's just waiting for the final smoke.

[JCBBQ]

Oooph! Maybe when I retire I'll think about that...

[JCBBQ]

Thnx Pappy!

[EdF]

Well, I like it slice it to order, steam the thin slices, and put them on that pastrami Reuben. That's the way Mama taught me! ;-)

[PappyBBQ]

I've done pastrami both ways - all the way on the grill, and the steaming method. I prefer to steam. Flats can get away from you and dry out bad, and I haven't had that problem steaming. It's strictly a personal choice. You have to try both methods and kinda decide for yourself!

[PappyBBQ]

Yeah, I soak all the salt out I can because my diet is sodium restricted. Other folks in the household simply salt theirs to taste.

[Potkettleblack]

As an aside, if you use an equillibrium cure and roll your own, you save on the desalination step. Of course, you add two-three weeks of curing...

[JCBBQ]

Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Thanks for the confirmation

[JCBBQ]

Perfect. That’s what I was thinking. Thanks Huskee

[Huskee]

I agree with all the above. You could think of it as a differently-seasoned brisket. The steam step is just traditional pastrami technique, but I found it to be way more of a hassle than it's worth for not much gain to the end product, IMO. I would never steam a regular brisket so I stopped doing it with pastrami and I preferred the results of that method.

I desalinate 2-3" thick flats for 10hrs with one water change. I found 8 was too salty still (but not bad) and 12 wasn't salty enough anymore. That's just me & my timing for the storebought corned flats I've used. I wrap everything after the stall, 180 or so, the bark is just right for me at that point. Cook time for me is my typical ~10 hrs on heat, ~2 hrs faux cambro, ~12 total.

[Potkettleblack]

If you really think about it, taking it to a point of solid bark, and then wrapping, would not be too different than taking to a solid bark and steaming only more efficient, for heat transfer.

[Troutman]

Think of it as pink brisket, nuff said.

[RonB]

I was going to say what Polarbear777 said, but since he did, I won't.

[JCBBQ]

Ok, great! I'm planning on the faux Cambro. I'm figuring around 9 hrs ish for the cook and then I'll budget a couple hours for it to sit. Thanks for the input.

[Polarbear777]

It cooks the same as brisket of the same thickness I’ve never steamed it,why bother when you can cook it straight.

I absolutely faux cambro it just like brisket.

The only tricky thing about pastrami is soaking out the right amount of salt without soaking out too much.

Kenji recommends microwaving a small amount of sausage in the making to a safe temp then tasting it to make sure the salt level is right.
I just thought of this so I haven’t tried it here but you could cut a small piece and do that here also.