Pastrami questions?

[Quarlow]

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?

[Quarlow]

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?

[Habanero Smoker]

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.

[Quarlow]

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.

[FLBentRider]

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.

[Quarlow]

Ok so properly is :cure, soak, pastrami rub and smoke. Got it.

[Quarlow]

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.

[Quarlow]

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.

[classicrockgriller]

What temp is it showing?

[Quarlow]

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.

[Habanero Smoker]

I would check your probe for accuracy. You shouldn't see a stall until you get around 160°F

[Up In Smoke]

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

[Quarlow]

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.

[Up In Smoke]

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.

[Quarlow]

Thanks UIS, thats the one I want then.