i love the Close to Katz’s recipe and have made it a couple of times. I want to make another batch since I have some corned beef but I want to vacuum seal and freeze it for future use. I know it’s better right away but that’s not going to work this time. Was thinking about smoking it all the way to 203 - 205 degrees but then should I seal/freeze the entire slab or slice it before freezing?
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That will work fine.
What I like to do is refrigerate the whole slab (or leftover slab) until cold, then slice, portion, vac seal and freeze. Slicing when cold is easier and the fat and juices stay in the slices. I also just find later this is easier on the reheating and eating step than thawing a hunk. -
I would definitely slice after the freeze. Think it would be dry if you sliced first.Comment
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I would smoke it all the way to completion, and leave it as intact as you can, then freeze it. Make sure to shock the meat in 50/50 ice and water right after you vac-seal it. You don't want to throw hot meat in the freezer.
Best of luck! It is one of my favorites too!
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For all of the reasons Polarbear777 mentioned, I like freezing the sliced pastrami. It's so convenient to reheat that way. Plus I give a lot of the pastrami I make away, and the giftees appreciate having it sliced for them.
I've been doing this lately:
1. Let smoked pastrami cool to 150°F or so. The rewrap in the foil used for the crutch (or new foil if no crutch was used).
2. Place meat packet in glass storage container in fridge with an ice/gel pack (from Hello Fresh deliveries) on the top and bottom of each container. The meat cools pretty quickly this way and the fridge temp stays nice and cold throughout. I let them sit in the fridge overnight.
I don't put the ice/gel packs directly on the foiled meat just in case a pack springs a leak. This has never happened, but I like to anticipate/avoid messes. Usually by morning the ice/gel packs are still frozen pretty solid.
3. Slice the cold meat, vac seal, then freeze for future use.
Kathryn
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Good thought. I only leave the foil on on overnight for the cooldown. (I don't usually crutch my pastramis; let 'em ride is my motto.
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Haven't had a problem as yet, but thanks for that reminder, CaptainMike , I may store them overnight in the fridge unwrapped in the glass storage containers from here on out, just to be safe. Thanks so much!
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; March 17, 2019, 11:51 AM. -
Yeah, after that steaming episode I now just let them ride nekkid in the smoker til done. In Meathead's bacon recipe he says to wrap unused bacon in plastic then in foil. I assumed it was to avoid that reaction but he doesn't say that specifically.
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I agree, cool, slice, then vac seal. You could reheat the meat sous vide or in a pot of water easily at any time. Sounds like a good idea, I may need to do up some pastrami and put some away like this! It usually doesn't last at my house. lolComment
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Thanks everyone for your responses. I think I have a plan to go on now.Comment
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You'll must be making tons of pastrami. I have never frozen it since it gets eaten as fast as I can make it !!
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