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Project First Pastrami

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    Project First Pastrami

    So then anyways.....2.5# chuck cured 6 days, rubbed and sat for 24 hours, hit the grill (2-zone at 250-275F) at 3:30pm. After about 4 hours, temp hit 130F. An hour later it’s at 131F. I even checked with other thermometers. I pulled it and wrapped it. Instruction here says I can either steam or back to the grill until 203F. I’m leaning toward steaming. I have a darn good crust, if I do say so myself. Thoughts from the AR brain trust?

    #2
    I'd let her ride, I'd never trust a 131 crust.

    Comment


      #3
      I always smoke pastrami the whole way, wrapping around 180 or so if I’m happy with the bark.

      Comment


        #4
        Due to forgotten obligations, I had to steam to finish per instructions here. In the end, meh. Wish I had a real meat slicer. Slaw is bomb, though! And I went to a local deli that makes their own rye, it’s really good. Not shown: big a$$ deli pickle.

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        • smokin fool
          smokin fool commented
          Editing a comment
          Pastrami without a big a$$ed kosher pickle is like a day without sunshine....

        #5
        Well, it certainly looks right!

        Comment


          #6
          That looks like some good Strami to me! Gotta have the good rye bread and that big a$$ pickle.

          Comment


          • smokin fool
            smokin fool commented
            Editing a comment
            Marble rye!!!!

          #7
          Ok, what's "meh" about it? It LOOKS fabulous, but you gotta analyze what you didn't like about it, share it with us and we can help come up with ideas to make it better next time.

          I have done some pastrami that was "meh", myself, even threw an entire batch away I was making on my son's birthday once when he pissed me smooth off. But just accepting "meh" and going on is a travesty for pastrami, if you ask me.

          Too salty or not enough? Tough and fibrous? Tell us what made it "meh" for you?

          Comment


          • SheilaAnn
            SheilaAnn commented
            Editing a comment
            DogFaced PonySoldier you are right! Ok, it was not very tender. And I failed to trim out a tough membrane. On the positive side, the crust was peppery (which I like) and the saltiness was spot on. The next time I try this, I will definitely hit the grill earlier in the day to allow for any hiccups.

          #8
          SheilaAnn , did you use Meathead's Close to Katz' Pastrami recipe? If not, it should be on your list. To my mind it's the best of all of his recipes, and that's saying something.

          Also, I take Meathead's recipe pastrami all the way to 203° or probe tender, great bark, no steam! Every time I would steam a pastrami back in the day, the rub got softened and would slide off.

          Kathryn

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          • jfmorris
            jfmorris commented
            Editing a comment
            Kathryn, I'm doing a pastrami tomorrow. Do you wrap at all, or just go to 203 unwrapped? I don't want to hassle with the steam to be honest.

          • fzxdoc
            fzxdoc commented
            Editing a comment
            jfmorris :
            Here's the Smoking Step from my Pastrami Game Plan:

            PBC, on the grate, fat cap down.

            PBC temp:270-290°.

            Time: for a 3.5 to 4 inch thick piece at 270°: about 11 hours. For thinner (about 2 inch thick piece) about 8 hours.

            Smaller, thinner pieces may go all the way to probe tenderness without wrapping (195 to 203°)
            Thicker pieces get wrapped at about 180°ish and then taken to probe tenderness.
            All wrapping is done with foil, wrapped as tight as possible, without added liquid.

            K.
            Last edited by fzxdoc; February 4, 2021, 06:41 AM.

          • fzxdoc
            fzxdoc commented
            Editing a comment
            Oh and P.S. jfmorris

            I never steam for fear of softening the bark and losing the rub topping.

            K.

          #9
          It sure looks good! Let's be honest, pastrami is not the easiest thing to get right, and if your first one didn't end up in the trash, you did better than I did on my first attempt.
          If you have a sous vide, I highly recommend this method from David Parrish.
          This is how I did my second one, and every one after that. I can't tell you how many I did this year because I almost never take pics, and that of course means, it never happened.
          Last edited by willxfmr; December 15, 2020, 03:41 AM.

          Comment


          • SheilaAnn
            SheilaAnn commented
            Editing a comment
            Wow! I will try that next time!

          • jfmorris
            jfmorris commented
            Editing a comment
            Do you take it straight from the smoker to the SV bath, or refrigerate it first? Do you have issues with the bark sticking to the vacuum bag?

          • willxfmr
            willxfmr commented
            Editing a comment
            jfmorris Yes, straight from the smoker to the bath. No issues with the bark sticking

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