Ok so I am making Upinsmokes pastrami recipe, in fact it is warming up now to go in the smoker. But I have to ask what the whole purpose of soaking the corned beef for 2 1/2 days was for? Was it to soak out the corned beef cure so as to add the pastrami rub? If so why not start with a fresh piece of beef and just pastrami rub that? Or does the corned beef cure add something to the pastrami that you want in it?
If I wanted to make pastrami out of pork loin would I have to start with a corned beef cure or how would that all come about?
I haven't been following the corned beef to pastrami threads, but I believe you have the pastrami rub confused with the pastrami cure.
For the loin I plan on using my cure that I use for my Beef pastrami, and will probably use the same seasonings; I'm not quite sure yet. I use different seasonings for different pastrami's. I've made salmon and turkey pastrami's also, but nothing spectacular to put on the recipe site.
Your right Habs I wrote pastrami cure when I meant rub. So if you are going to make it from a pork loin are you just going to put the pastrami rub on it or do you need to do anything else first? This is something I want to try also and pork loins are on sale this week here.
Pastrami - in my understanding, is a cured, rubbed, smoked thing.
If you are starting with fresh meat (lets say a beef brisket) then you use a cure - at the end of which you have corned beef. Then you add a pastrami rub and smoke it.
If you are starting with a corned beef brisket - it is already cured - the soaking is to remove some of the salt. You then add a pastrami rub and smoke it.
I have always just purchased a brisket flat and cured (and smoked) it myself.
I also understand that pastrami is a method not a cut of meat. You could make turkey pastrami, pork pastrami, beef pastrami out of some other cut of beef than a brisket.
Ok so properly is :cure, soak, pastrami rub and smoke. Got it.
Any idea how long it should take approx. to hit the IT. It has been in 4 hrs. 2hrs smoke 2hrs cook. The top surface seems dry too. As near as I can figure by the door thermo 225f. It seems my probe thermo won't go that high, piece of junk. I got to get a maverick probe type.
Damn 6 1/2 hrs and it still hasn't reach 160f. This thing is going to be beef jerky by the time it is done.
What temp is it showing?
It was stalled at 144f. I gave up on this. After 10 hrs it was still only at 150f. This things is less than half its size. Pulled it at 151f FTC it and hope it is edible after sitting in the fridge for a couple of days. Very disappointed at this point. No 3 lb piece of meat should take that long.
I would check your probe for accuracy. You shouldn't see a stall until you get around 160°F
Quarlow,
Just woke up and saw this post.
Don't get too discouraged yet.
it is normal for the roast to shrink to about half of its size if you are using a brisket flat.
as far as reaching the IT you are looking for it will take a while to do, the stall temp is lower than you
would think, compared to a butt.
i have had the roast curl up on the ends a little just before it got up to temp.
as far as the outer shell getting kind of hard, this is normal also, it should relax a little during FTC and the
time wrapped in the refrigerator.
after it rests in the fridge, slice it paper thin across the grain, the flavor gets even better the day after it has been
sliced.
Don't give up yet
jerry
Ok guys thanks a lot. It was very discouraging. I couldn't see that small piece of meat taking that long. If I had known that sucker would shrink that much I would have bought a bigger piece of meat. I did slice a little piece off the end a it was very tasty for sure. I think I am going to get an ET-7 or 73. I need to be able to read that cabinet temp for sure.
Quarlow,
i like the ET 73 for pastrami so i can keep an eye on the cabin temp and the IT.
It works well for keeping an eye on Habs CB also.
Thanks UIS, thats the one I want then.
Quote from: Quarlow on May 17, 2010, 04:12:29 PM
Thanks UIS, thats the one I want then.
You probably already know this, but make sure that when you are cleaning the probes on the ET 73
that you do not submerse them in water....
it will trash them.
Yup thanks, I have been real careful with the cheapos I have also.
OMG this pastrami is so awesome. I was pretty sceptical about the turn out on this, what with the amount of time it took to cook. I was relying on the door thermo for cab temp but I think it must have been reading way high. I kept it to 225f through the whole smoke and with an OBS that takes some finesse. I only reached a IT of 151f after 10 hrs. It was getting late so I pulled it out, FTC'ed it for 2 hrs and stuck it in the fridge worrying that it had not cooked to a high enough temp and it had stayed in the 140f zone way to long. I chatted with CRG that night about it and his suggestion was to steam it to 160f and when cool slice it up. I was still leery but I should have listened to CRG(dad) on this. He then said if I was going to be such a jerk and not listen to "HE WHO KNOWS A FRIK MORE THAN YOU" I should PM Habs and get the final say on it. So that is what I did. Habs said because it was already cure as conred beef it would be perfectly fine and that steaming it would tenderize it nicely. Well I got anxious today and couldn't wait for it to steam so it went under the knife.... I mean slicer. I could not slice it super thin as Habs suggested as this "CHEAP PIECE OF CRAP" slicer I have wouldn't slice it real thin. But I did the best I could. With a 3 lb corned beef, I ended up with 22 ounces of the best tasting pastrami I have ever eaten. I have pic's but this "OLD PIECE OF CRAP 3 TIME HAND ME DOWN COMPUTER" I have, the USB ports have quit working so I can't plug my memory card in. So as soon as my daughter shows her face from here dungeon of a bedroom that I can't get her out of, I will get her to upload my pic's to photobucket. Seriously you guys and gals need to make this Pastrami. Thanks CRG, HABs and UIS for all the help. You and a whole bunch of others are what makes these recipes and this forum work.
Good deal! I thought I ruined mine the last time (same 10+ hour ordeal), but after a night in the fridge and a ride on a commercial slicer at work, it was out of this world.
Congrats on your pastrami, Q!
Now you won't be able to eat that store-bought stuff, and you know why I do three flats at a time when I do pastrami.
Thanks guys and most definitely will do one heck of a bigger piece, cause when my brothers get a taste of this, well I know they are going to take turns holding me down while the other one eats. Next time I won't tell them I am making it.
Good to here your Pastrami turned out "awesome" kinda scary the first time, seein it shrivel up to almost nothin.
I now do Pastrami outta top or bottom round and cure it, then carry on where you started.
Did your daughter climb out from here dungeon yet? ;D
Q, Glad it worked out and you are Happy and Safe.
Did I really say that to my Son? ;D
Glad to hear your pastrami was a success.
Glad that things turned out well for you Q.
Yup pics are coming. It will take a bit but here they come.
Ok here it is folks. Prepare to drool.
Here it is with the rub on.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Smoker/S7301670.jpg)
Having technical difficulty. hang on it's coming
Here's another.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Smoker/S7301671.jpg)
Mmmm slicing.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Smoker/S7301674.jpg)
All sliced.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Smoker/S7301675.jpg)
Four 5 1/2oz bags out of 3 lbs at start. DOH should have made 10 lbs.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Smoker/S7301677.jpg)
Berlinger Rye bread, Homemade Pastrami, Swiss cheese and
Edmond Fallot Seed style mustard. Stick it in the toaster oven to melt the cheese.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Smoker/S7301678.jpg)
And the the best for last. Eye can see you. :D :D :D
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Smoker/S7301681.jpg)
And that is the reward for all the work. I will definitely be making this soon. Only and a grander scale.
Nice work Q, very nice work!
The second sandwich had twice as much meat on it.
Thats a good lookin sammie you got goin there Q
Other than one sammie was cocked eyed ;D , it was really nice looking pastrami.
Glad for ya Q.
Still don't think I said that to you. ;D
Well you had to read between the lines, but it was something like that. :D :D :D
Just FYI - You don't _need_ to use brisket for beef pastrami. You could make it out of just about any cut. Cure times will vary by thickness, and really thick cuts will need to be injected and wet brined instead of dry cured.
That's good to know. So what would be a good reasonably priced cut to use?
I don't know what is affordable in your area, I seem to recall y'all Canadians having trouble finding briskets.
Quote from: Quarlow on May 18, 2010, 04:57:59 PM
That's good to know. So what would be a good reasonably priced cut to use?
Quote from: OU812 on May 18, 2010, 11:36:25 AM
I now do Pastrami outta top or bottom round and cure it, then carry on where you started.
;D
That pastrami looks awesome. Nice job. You had me a little worried for a minute when you were thinking you had botched it but I knew you would pull it off.
Quote from: OU812 on May 19, 2010, 06:54:50 AM
Quote from: Quarlow on May 18, 2010, 04:57:59 PM
That's good to know. So what would be a good reasonably priced cut to use?
Quote from: OU812 on May 18, 2010, 11:36:25 AM
I now do Pastrami outta top or bottom round and cure it, then carry on where you started.
;D
aaa yeah ::) ::)
Kynola thats what I love about here, "we get by with a little help from our friends".