Turkey Pastrami (another endeavor)

[Habanero Smoker]

Here is my other crack at making Turkey Pastrami. This batch was a big improvement, and came out much better than the first time. I reworked the recipe, and like this much better. The skin was a little tough, but it is so thin it is really not a factor. It will not have the taste of your deli turkey pastrami, but for my taste, the flavors were well balance. I made two batches of brine, one batch I added Instacure #1 to give the turkey a ham like flavor.



Turkey Pastrami (another endeavor)
(2) 2 ½ pound boneless turkey breast; with skin; fresh or minimally processed

Brine:
1 quart water (divided)
1/2 cup tightly-packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Morton kosher salt (4 oz.)
6 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoon of pickling spice
            or instead of pickling spice add

• 1 tablespoon juniper berries, bruised.
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled

   Makes enough to brine up to 6 pounds of meat.

Place all ingredients in a non-reactive 1.5 quart sauce pan and add one pint of water. I have a preference to using the juniper berries, mustard seed and bay leaves instead of the pickling spice. Bring to a boil, stirring until all salt and sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and add cold water or ice to bring the amount of brine to one quart. Let cool to at least 40°F before using the brine. Once brine has cooled, a one gallon zip lock bag works fine to brine both breasts in.

• Tip: the volume and weight of water are equal; so the weight of 8 ounces of ice equals the volume of one cup of water.
• Note: To give the turkey pastrami a ham like flavor, add 3/8 cup (6 Tablespoons) of Instacure #1; if weighing use 3.2oz (91g). For less ham like flavor you can use 1.5oz (43g). Add the cure after you remove the brine mixture from the heat and the brine had cooled.

Remove any excess fat from the breasts; you may need to trim some of the skin also. If the breasts still have the tenderloins attached, you can leave it own. I like to take it off, because it generally comes loose during the brining process, or during smoking. Place turkey breast in the brine, making sure that they are completely covered. Refrigerate for 48 hours; about every 12 hours stir the breast around.

Remove turkey from brine, and rinse. Make sure you rinse off all spices that may be clinging to the meat. Place turkey in a container, cover with cold water (at least 1 quart per pound) and let the meat soak for 30 minutes; turning meat over after 15 minutes. Remove from water; give breast a quick rinse, and wipe off excessive water with paper towels. Slice off a small piece, sauté in a small pan, and taste. If the turkey is too salty for your taste, change the water and let it soak for another 30 minutes.  After soaking, I like to place the brined meat into an empty container or plastic bag, and let it rest for 24 hour in the refrigerator. This step is optional; you can apply the rub right after you dry the breast with paper towels.

Dry Rub:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons toasted coriander seeds
3 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
   Makes enough rub to cover approximately four 2.5 pound turkey breasts.

Combine coriander seeds and peppercorns, and coarsely grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Next coarsely grind the mustard seeds. Pour ground spices into a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and mix well. As an extra "kick", substitute 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes for 1 tablespoon of the black peppercorns before grinding the mixture

Generously apply the dry rub to all sides of the turkey breast. You may have to remix the rub as you work; this rub tends to separate easily. Apply rub, and work the rub into the meat by pressing it in with the palms of your hands; especially on the skin side. Place uncovered in the refrigerator and allow breast to air dry overnight. Placing the rub on prior to air drying helps the rub stick better.

Remove turkey breast from the refrigerator, and let rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Place turkey breast on a smoking tray skin side down, and place in a pre-heated Bradley Smoker, at 200°F. Apply 2 hours of smoke; I used 2 hours of apple. Additional smoke can be used, but I found two hours of apple was sufficient. If you want additional smoke, I suggest another hour of apple, or finish off with an hour of maple.

After smoke has been applied, raise the temperature to 225°F; if you want you can rotate the trays at this time.  Cook until the internal temperature reaches 150°F – 155°F.

Remove from smoker, turn breast skin side up. Loosely tent with aluminum foil, and allow to rest. When cool enough to handle, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate skin side up. Allow to age at least 2 days. It gains flavor over time. Adding a layer of foil over the plastic will help keep the plastic tight against the meat. When ready to eat slice thin like deli meat, and serve either cold or warm.



I also made some turkey pastrami out of boneless whole turkey thighs. I used the same method described above, but brought the internal temperature to 160°F-165°F. After boning and seasoning the thigh it needs to be folded together, and snuggly tied with butcher's string. Making turkey pastrami from the thighs is additional work, but more rewarding.

When I get a chance, latter I'll post pictures of the final product.

Enjoy!


Modified to correct error in cure #1 amount.

[Habanero Smoker]

Here are some pictures. I mainly wanted to post the pictures so that you can get an idea of how to make the pastrami using turkey thighs. Click on picture to enlarge.


Turkey pastrami that has been air dried, and ready for the smoker. As you can see the breasts are on the bottom and thighs are on top. The thighs have been folded over and tied after the rub has been applied. You just need to snugly tie the thigh. They will hold together well, after the have been fully cooked.


Pastrami fully cooked and rested. Ready to be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator.


A look at the sliced breasts, after 3 days of "aging". The cut that I used Instacure #1 on is on the left. There is very little difference between the color of the meat of both pieces.


Here is a look at the turkey thighs. It is easy to see which one was cured with Instacure #1. The one on the left has a deep red color. I like the way these came out. If you look closely, you will see a "vein", that is the coating of rub that was applied prior to folding.

[icerat4]

Nice habs real nice ;D

[Consiglieri]

Thanks for posting, H.  I've been meaning to try this project once I can find a place where I can get fresh turkey breasts this time of year.  Your product looks delicious and I could use a sandwich.

[LilSmoker]

Looks great Habs i may well give it a try in the near future.

[Wildcat]

Pastrami is on my list as well, and I plan to take my lessons from you!

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks for posting, H.  I've been meaning to try this project once I can find a place where I can get fresh turkey breasts this time of year.  Your product looks delicious and I could use a sandwich.

Icerat4, LS, and Wildcat;
Thanks.

Consiglieri;
Thanks. I know what you mean. It took me a while. Eventually I was able to find a brand that used pure water to pump into the breast. If you find one of those, they would be alright to use.

When making sandwiches with turkey pastrami, I prefer Mayo over mustard.

[Oldman]

Hab nice job...

[HCT]

Wow Hab, looks great!!!

[coyote]

I don't know how I missed that post Hab's .....But wow ! That looks like quite a feast !

[West Coast Kansan]

This looks like a post for the recipe site Habs   ;).  Something to do in the fall when the toxic turkeys are off the market.  ;D