CBB & First Pastrami With Update Pics

[ratherbboating]

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

[JZ]

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.

[Smoker John]

That pastrami does look great, thanks for sharing the info

[ratherbboating]

 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.

[OU812]

Strange,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Ive never got the dark spots from injecting

Maybe inject less in more places, still using the same amount of brine

[JZ]

Strange,,,,,,,,,,,,,,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. ::) ::) ;)

[Silvergrizz]

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.

[JZ]

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.

]

[squirtthecat]

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.

[OU812]

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

[KyNola]

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

[JZ]

PS; 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. ::)

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

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.