1st Turkey turned out great!

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Consiglieri,

I take the short cut: start with a corned beef. Smoke that baby up and you have excellent pastrami. I have thought about starting from scratch and curing a brisket, but have a habit of failing.

Arcs_n_Sparks

[Consiglieri]

ANS: will give that a try, but right now I have a bee in my bonnet on curing up some homemade pastrami.  Here's the rub, though: can't seem to find any readily available cure.  Called a few meat lockers today and think I have a lead on some curing salt.  Hopefully by next weekend I'll have a sandwich that rival's Max's.   :P

Thanks for the tip. 

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Consiglieri,

Know what you mean; I have the itch to cure something also. That last few weeks have had some great curing pics (especially bacon).

Guess I have to rededicate myself.....

Sparkler

[LilSmoker]

Guys, quit buying the corned beef and cure from scratch, it's very easy to do, and tasting the finished pastrami is a reward in itself

Let's have some self discipline here please!  ::)

LilSmoker

[West Coast Kansan]

I too have done the corned beef short cut. Good results once and bad the second time last St Pat;s day.  Flavor was ok both times but the quality of the packaged corn beef was awful - John Morrell brand.

Doing your own is clearly the preferred approach. Seems like a pain but really is hard to make a bad result. 

[Habanero Smoker]

If you have the ingredients, making your own is easy.