What I did
1) cure 2.5 lb axis roast
2) desalinate
3) sous vide at 130 for 3.5 days
4) pastrami rub
5) chill to 40F
6) smoke to 130F @ ~300F w/ pecan. Time approx 1 hr
Assessment - flavor profile is spot on. Very tender. Still moist. Bark is better but not great. Doing SV first, and then smoking helps bark! Thank you Mr Broussard!
Bark is really just starting to form.
Texture is better cooked to medium than medium rare.
The original challenge - to make a tasty meal with an axis roast that wasn't pot roast. That has been accomplished.
Between small roast size and low cook temp, just not enough time for the Maillard reaction to really do it's thing and make a good bark.
Verdict - B+. Best axis roast to date. Still not as good as normal pastrami.
Ways to improve. Next time will cook to medium. Next animal harvested will leave the roasts bigger. Should give more time for bark to form.
1) cure 2.5 lb axis roast
2) desalinate
3) sous vide at 130 for 3.5 days
4) pastrami rub
5) chill to 40F
6) smoke to 130F @ ~300F w/ pecan. Time approx 1 hr
Assessment - flavor profile is spot on. Very tender. Still moist. Bark is better but not great. Doing SV first, and then smoking helps bark! Thank you Mr Broussard!
Bark is really just starting to form.
Texture is better cooked to medium than medium rare.
The original challenge - to make a tasty meal with an axis roast that wasn't pot roast. That has been accomplished.
Between small roast size and low cook temp, just not enough time for the Maillard reaction to really do it's thing and make a good bark.
Verdict - B+. Best axis roast to date. Still not as good as normal pastrami.
Ways to improve. Next time will cook to medium. Next animal harvested will leave the roasts bigger. Should give more time for bark to form.
