Well we have now moved way beyond sausage making and " y Mas" to all our online sales pitch in Ecuador. Finally got the smoker working correctly ( new burner and a needle valve regulator). Now sits all day on 225 degrees.
Two new things I need some help with. One is that I have missed smoked brisket the way it is done in Texas. So, nice old style dry rub ( Adkins BBQ rub) , overnight in the fridge, on my BGE at 225 and smoke for 7 hrs. No pics, but that great Texas taste. So I decided that maybe I could package and sell some of this down here. Vac packed one brisket and sold several lbs. Most posted positive, but one customer wrote back privately that it was as "tough as shoe leather". Now I usually don't have any left over to freeze, so I have no experience with freezing smoked brisket. I apologized to the customer and offered his money back. He declined and opted to try it again. I gladly obliged. He then reported back again that it was inedible, tough as shoe leather but great taste. Refunded the money for both. Anyone have experience with freezing smoked brisket? Am I doing something wrong? He says he defrosted by dropping the package into boiling water until it was soft. I have 2 packages out now and will try them tonight. Slow defrost for me.
Second question. Now doing pastrami. Same customer says he opened one package and had let it defrost during the day. He says that the pastrami was slimy and smelled rancid. He says he tried the second package with the same results. That was the last of that run, so I can't check for myself, but we have had nothing but rave reviews from others. HMMM?
Pastrami is close to Meatheads,but I can't just copy, so I played for 6 mos. with variances as I find small changes sometimes work wonders. Mine is brined for 14 days, 4 + inch brisket points and flats, soaked in clean water for 14- 18 hrs, dry rubbed, then back to cooler for 24 hrs. then smoked at 225 degrees hanging past the stall, with a hard bark, cooled over night, then steamed for 4 hrs or until fork tender, back to cooler for overnight, then sliced and vac packed and straight to the freezer. Sliced and packed 30 lbs yesterday and left a few slices out on the counter overnight. Low here was 73 degrees last night. This morning all that had happened was that it dryed out. Then my dogs ate it. They said it was great Not sure how you get pastrami slimy and rancid.
Question 3. Pastrami yield. Above pastrami made this week above in question 2, started as whole ,untrimmed briskets, which I cut and trimmed after the corned beef cure. I started wit 14 whole briskets, some were smaller and thin, so I packed them for corned beef. The rest I left to cure for another 7 days. There were 14 pieces totaling about 60 + lbs after the cure.End result was 30 Lbs. of sliced and packed pastrami. I always wondered why pastrami was so expensive. 21 days start to finish, cost of meat, spices, package and a small profit, wow. I sell for $11 a lb. I hear it is #20 in the states.
However, yield was the question . 60 + lbs of meat = 30 lbs of product. 50% yield?
Thanks for the help.
Stay Safe
TonyS
Two new things I need some help with. One is that I have missed smoked brisket the way it is done in Texas. So, nice old style dry rub ( Adkins BBQ rub) , overnight in the fridge, on my BGE at 225 and smoke for 7 hrs. No pics, but that great Texas taste. So I decided that maybe I could package and sell some of this down here. Vac packed one brisket and sold several lbs. Most posted positive, but one customer wrote back privately that it was as "tough as shoe leather". Now I usually don't have any left over to freeze, so I have no experience with freezing smoked brisket. I apologized to the customer and offered his money back. He declined and opted to try it again. I gladly obliged. He then reported back again that it was inedible, tough as shoe leather but great taste. Refunded the money for both. Anyone have experience with freezing smoked brisket? Am I doing something wrong? He says he defrosted by dropping the package into boiling water until it was soft. I have 2 packages out now and will try them tonight. Slow defrost for me.
Second question. Now doing pastrami. Same customer says he opened one package and had let it defrost during the day. He says that the pastrami was slimy and smelled rancid. He says he tried the second package with the same results. That was the last of that run, so I can't check for myself, but we have had nothing but rave reviews from others. HMMM?
Pastrami is close to Meatheads,but I can't just copy, so I played for 6 mos. with variances as I find small changes sometimes work wonders. Mine is brined for 14 days, 4 + inch brisket points and flats, soaked in clean water for 14- 18 hrs, dry rubbed, then back to cooler for 24 hrs. then smoked at 225 degrees hanging past the stall, with a hard bark, cooled over night, then steamed for 4 hrs or until fork tender, back to cooler for overnight, then sliced and vac packed and straight to the freezer. Sliced and packed 30 lbs yesterday and left a few slices out on the counter overnight. Low here was 73 degrees last night. This morning all that had happened was that it dryed out. Then my dogs ate it. They said it was great Not sure how you get pastrami slimy and rancid.
Question 3. Pastrami yield. Above pastrami made this week above in question 2, started as whole ,untrimmed briskets, which I cut and trimmed after the corned beef cure. I started wit 14 whole briskets, some were smaller and thin, so I packed them for corned beef. The rest I left to cure for another 7 days. There were 14 pieces totaling about 60 + lbs after the cure.End result was 30 Lbs. of sliced and packed pastrami. I always wondered why pastrami was so expensive. 21 days start to finish, cost of meat, spices, package and a small profit, wow. I sell for $11 a lb. I hear it is #20 in the states.
However, yield was the question . 60 + lbs of meat = 30 lbs of product. 50% yield?
Thanks for the help.
Stay Safe
TonyS
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