Got 2 maple CBB's in the smoker today. Here is a pic of them before the smoke.
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e246.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e246.jpg%5B/IMG)
I note that the one in the back had a section that was not pink, like it did not get cured. Doesn't make sense since it was all in the same cure bag.
Here they are after the smoke. They are resting before getting wrapped and into the fridge for 2 days before slicing.
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e248.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e248.jpg%5B/IMG)
Here is a pic of my first try at Pastrami using a recipe Curt was kind enough to send me. Didn't get any before pics but here it is after the smoke.
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e250.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e250.jpg%5B/IMG)
All wrapped up and going into the fridge overnight.
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e249.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e249.jpg%5B/IMG)
Hope this turns out. Picked up some Rye bread and hot mustard for some toasted pastrami and pickle sammies, mmmmmmmm.
Great job!
That is strange that one loin cured and the other didn't
Was it a dry rub recipe you used?
You'll just have to eat that one first ;)
Carolyn
The one that appears it didn't cure on one side, any chance that one was pressed up against the curing bag the entire time? I have read that sometimes that will prevent the meat from curing all the way through due to the "brine" that forms in the bag not having an opportunity to to get to the meat.
Those much more learned than me will come along and give you better information than me.
QuoteThe one that appears it didn't cure on one side, any chance that one was pressed up against the curing bag the entire time? I have read that sometimes that will prevent the meat from curing all the way through due to the "brine" that forms in the bag not having an opportunity to to get to the meat.
That's a good point but I don't think that was it since the line between the apparent cured portion and the apparent uncured section followed along a fat seem in the loin, which was angled. Looks like a seem separating different cut of meat (but I am not a butcher and don't know). I think maybe next time I will try not to get so much air out of the bag so there is more ability for the juices in the bag to make contact with all of the surfaces.
I cooked both loins at 230* until an IT of 142* so they should be safe to eat. I am interested to see the color of the meat inside the area that appeared uncured. If it is pink I will know it got cured if not I will make sure that loin gets cooked a little more before it gets eaten.
I cannot detect anything wrong from your photo. The one you say seems not to have cured, sound like the cut towards the shoulder end. That end has different muscles with different amounts of myoglobin (myoglobin is the protein that reacts to sodium nitrite to form the color). The more myoglobin the darker the color, and vise versa. So both pieces are probably fully cured.
If you bring the internal temperature to 142°F, it is fully cooked and safe to eat, whether it has been cured or not.
Nice job there JZ
Looking good!
Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk
They both looked good. Let us know how the pastrami came out.
Art
That all looks GREAT!
My thinking on the part that looks like it didnt cure is the same as Habs, bet it did cure correctly
That pastrami is gonna be soooooo gooood, remember to slice it against the grain ;)
QuoteI cannot detect anything wrong from your photo. The one you say seems not to have cured, sound like the cut towards the shoulder end. That end has different muscles with different amounts of myoglobin (myoglobin is the protein that reacts to sodium nitrite to form the color). The more myoglobin the darker the color, and vise versa. So both pieces are probably fully cured.
If you bring the internal temperature to 142°F, it is fully cooked and safe to eat, whether it has been cured or not.
Thanks Habs.
So "myoglobin" is the culprit. :o I kinda figured it had to be cured and the change in meat was the cause of the different color, but it is reassuring to have someone in the know confirm it. I cooked at the higher temps as a precaution.
Curt, the Pastrami just got unwrapped and is sitting in the fridge to dry a bit. I will slice later (across the grain) and post pics. I can't wait to try this stuff. The rye bread, pickles and hot mustard are all waiting anxiously too. : :)
Im waitin anxiously too
It was lunch time and this thing was calling my name so the wait ended. Getting sliced.
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e254.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e254.jpg%5B/IMG)
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e253.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e253.jpg%5B/IMG)
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e252.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e252.jpg%5B/IMG)
Rye bread with pastrami. The Dijon, pickles and Jalepeno Harvarti waiting their turn.
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e255.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e255.jpg%5B/IMG)
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e256.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/Smoker/Smoker%202/e256.jpg%5B/IMG)
After this pic it went into the Micro for a short spin and then it disappeared. ::) You wouldn't want to see those pics.
This stuff is really good. How good ....... my wife who never eats corned beef or pastrami and used to work in a deli, made herself one of these bad boys. :o :o :o
Oooooh I am doing this again and thanks again to OU812 for the recipe.
OK,,,,,,Now Im REALLY Hungry!
That there sammie looks GREAT!
Glad ya liked the recipe
Nice job JZ. Someday I will do pastrami :)
That looks beautiful sliced up.
Carolyn
Did you inject the pastrami with solution? If you did, when did you do it in the curing process? And with what?
I LIKE pastrami and yours looks goooooood...
Thanks
It was injected at the start of the curing process - first step.
This was the brine mix that Curt (OU812) was kind enough to provide:
2 cup distilled water
2 Tbs Tender Quick
2 Tbs brown sugar, packed
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp granulated onion
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground coriander
1 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme
I put everything into a blender and mixed it really good since it was going through an injection needle. Even so you can see some dark brown spots in the meat where the spices were injected. The dark spots don't affect the taste though.
This was my first attempt and it it turned out surprisingly good and I will not change anything the next time I make it.
That pastrami does look great, thanks for sharing the info
Thanks for the response. I'll try injecting mine next time. Plan on having some come off the smoker the day before Thanksgiving for company coming over. Probably use another sirloin tip roast.
Strange,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Ive never got the dark spots from injecting
Maybe inject less in more places, still using the same amount of brine
QuoteStrange,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Ive never got the dark spots from injecting
Maybe inject less in more places, still using the same amount of brine
This was the first time using an injector and I likely did something wrong. Maybe I didn't grind thoroughly enough. Some of the needle openings were plugged when I finished. I injected the crap out of the poor thing .... looked like a pincushion when I was done with it. It might be the dehydrated onion I used. Didn't have granular so I used the dry stuff and ground it in a coffee grinder. Maybe it was still too big or moist. Oh well no complaints here.
I did learn one thing ...... be very careful when the needle is being extracted from the meat, if it is still under pressure the fluid will squirt you in the face, go all over the counter and squirt as far as 8' from the injection site. :o At least that is what I was told. ::) ::) ;)
I just finished lunch, but after eying those pictures, I'm starving already. Great job, someday I will try to make some of my own pastrami.
Here is a pic of the CBB showing the differences between the 2 loins. The one on the left is the one that looked fully cured and the one on the right is the one that looked like it might not have been cure. Hard to tell in the pic but they are both definately cured.
](http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e258.jpg) (ftp://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t310/JZ-bucket/e258.jpg%5B/IMG)
Different ends of the loin. That one to the right is actually 2 different muscles coming together. I get the same thing all the time.
Quote from: squirtthecat on November 06, 2012, 01:14:07 PM
Different ends of the loin. That one to the right is actually 2 different muscles coming together. I get the same thing all the time.
What Pat said ;D
The one on the right I make cured loin chops with, slice em 2 fingers thick then throw on the grill for a quick dinner ;)
PS; aint it amazing who far that brine will shoot outta the end of the needle? ;D
Quote from: OU812 on November 06, 2012, 01:45:25 PM
Quote from: squirtthecat on November 06, 2012, 01:14:07 PM
Different ends of the loin. That one to the right is actually 2 different muscles coming together. I get the same thing all the time.
What Pat said ;D
The one on the right I make cured loin chops with, slice em 2 fingers thick then throw on the grill for a quick dinner ;)
PS; aint it amazing who far that brine will shoot outta the end of the needle? ;D
Just to add to my friend Curt's suggestion on the loin chops, you can also take the loin, cut into chops, cold smoke them for a couple of hours, vac seal and toss in freezer for grilling for dinner. Delicious
QuotePS; aint it amazing who far that brine will shoot outta the end of the needle? ;D
One time I was slowly pulling the needle back while I was still injecting and just before the needle came out the brine shot back out of the hole in the meat. Some on me and a bunch flew back past me and landed on the stove. The wife found that later. ::)
QuoteJust to add to my friend Curt's suggestion on the loin chops, you can also take the loin, cut into chops, cold smoke them for a couple of hours, vac seal and toss in freezer for grilling for dinner. Delicious
I tried one of the smoked loin chop recipes from the recipe site and it turned out like ham and it was quite dry. So I cut it into thin slices for sammies. Also cut some of the thicker pieces into small cubes and mixed with scrambled eggs for breakfast. That stuff was brined for 5 days and cooked to an IT of 142. Maybe I brined too long.