Reuben Sammies

SnellySmokesEm · June 28, 2010, 07:38:12 AM

I smoked a store bought corned beef flat this weekend and made some Reuben's this weekend for me and my buddies. Once again I cant say enough about making your own pastrami weather you cure it yourself or buy it from the store already cured. I apologize in advance, I had to take the pics with my camera phone b/c the wife took the camera with her this weekend. I started with a 3lb corned beef flat and rubbed it down with Jans Rub. I smoked with Hickory for 2 hours and then took the meat out of the smoker when the IT was 150. I FTC for 3 hours and then wrapped tight in plastic and put in the fridge. I usually like to make a few days early so the pastrami can sit in the fridge for a few days to let all the flavor distribute evenly though the meat but I didn't have time to this weekend. I did notice a difference but it was still way better than anything from the deli.
Here's the pastrami all sliced up

Making the Reuben sammie. MMMMMMM MMMMMMM so freakin good!

I used your basic Reuben sandwhich recipe: Pastrami, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing, sauerkraut, and sourdough bread (usually call for rye bread but it's not my bread of choice) Man o man this is definitely one of my favorites sandwhiches! Everyone loved them. My one buddy said that it was the best thing he has ever eaten at my house.... and he was over a few weeks ago when I made the $80 beef tenderloin!!! If you haven't tried pastrami your missing out!!!

3rensho · June 28, 2010, 07:46:11 AM

That is some tasty looking food. I make my own pastrami too and there is no comparison with stuff from a store/deli. Nice job. I make my own sauerkraut as well and ditto on comparing that to store bought.

FLBentRider · June 28, 2010, 07:46:29 AM

That looks great Snelly!

And I don't even like sauerkraut.

SnellySmokesEm · June 28, 2010, 08:01:49 AM

3rensho, So you wanna share your sauerkraut recipe? Mine was store bought.... :-[

classicrockgriller · June 28, 2010, 08:36:59 AM

Nice looking pastrami.

Fantastic!

TTNuge · June 28, 2010, 08:38:55 AM

I love me a good Reuben. Guess it's time to step up to the pastrami plate.

mikeradio · June 28, 2010, 08:59:38 AM

looks great

drewpatton · June 28, 2010, 09:35:39 AM

I agree! Homemade pastrami is the BEST! I love reubens.

BuyLowSellHigh · June 28, 2010, 10:01:44 AM

Outstanding!

Now once again I am hungry, and this time it;s all your fault Snelly ! ;D

3rensho · June 28, 2010, 10:14:51 AM

Well Snelly, there isn't much of a recipe as such. I buy enough green cabbage in the fall to give me 12-14 kg when the outer leaves and the cores are removed after quartering. Then it all gets shredded into long thin strips with a purpose built mandolin (every store carries them here). Then you take a clean, ceramic crock and fill it about 25cm full with the shredded cabbage (kraut). Sprinkle over about 1 TB of kosher salt and then take a wooden dowel about 5-6 cm in diameter and tamp the hell out of it. Get some exercise doing it. The idea is to break down the leaves, let the salt get in and release juice. Repeat process until crock is full to about 5 cm from the top. Everything should be under about 4-5-cm of juice. This is important. If there is insufficient juice then make a brine from about 1 TB of kosher salt to a liter of water and add it to the required depth. Cover kraut with a weighted plate and a clean rock on top to hold under the juice and then another plate over the top of the crock. Leave at ambient temp (20C) for 24 hours and then into a coolish cellar (10-14C) for four weeks or so. The first week fermentation should start (caused by bacteria naturally occurring on the cabbage). It can be fairly active. This drops the pH to 5 or less and that prevents the growth of nasty bacteria and makes the brine sour. Taste some after four weeks. If it is is as sour as you like - start chowing down. If not, let if go another couple of weeks. When the desired sourness is reached you can take portions out and freeze them just fine. Make sure to keep the remaining kraut submerged in brine. The cellar will smell like fermenting cabbage. If a slimy, white filamentous growth forms on top that smells gawd awful then chuck it. The initial fermentation did not get the pH low enough, fast enough. This is a cool weather sport unless you have a nice cool cellar in summer. Nothing like homemade pastrami and kraut. If you make your own sausage the kraut goes well in a Choucroute garni.

njfoodies · June 28, 2010, 10:16:29 AM

That looks absolutely gorgeous! Now help a newbie out here...what does FTC stand for? Cheers!

SnellySmokesEm · June 28, 2010, 10:24:23 AM

Quote from: njfoodies on June 28, 2010, 10:16:29 AM
That looks absolutely gorgeous! Now help a newbie out here...what does FTC stand for? Cheers!

F=Foil T=Towel C=Cooler Wrap your meat in foil then wrap a towel around it and place in the cooler.

SnellySmokesEm · June 28, 2010, 10:25:47 AM

Quote from: 3rensho on June 28, 2010, 10:14:51 AM
Well Snelly, there isn't much of a recipe as such. I buy enough green cabbage in the fall to give me 12-14 kg when the outer leaves and the cores are removed after quartering. Then it all gets shredded into long thin strips with a purpose built mandolin (every store carries them here). Then you take a clean, ceramic crock and fill it about 25cm full with the shredded cabbage (kraut). Sprinkle over about 1 TB of kosher salt and then take a wooden dowel about 5-6 cm in diameter and tamp the hell out of it. Get some exercise doing it. The idea is to break down the leaves, let the salt get in and release juice. Repeat process until crock is full to about 5 cm from the top. Everything should be under about 4-5-cm of juice. This is important. If there is insufficient juice then make a brine from about 1 TB of kosher salt to a liter of water and add it to the required depth. Cover kraut with a weighted plate and a clean rock on top to hold under the juice and then another plate over the top of the crock. Leave at ambient temp (20C) for 24 hours and then into a coolish cellar (10-14C) for four weeks or so. The first week fermentation should start (caused by bacteria naturally occurring on the cabbage). It can be fairly active. This drops the pH to 5 or less and that prevents the growth of nasty bacteria and makes the brine sour. Taste some after four weeks. If it is is as sour as you like - start chowing down. If not, let if go another couple of weeks. When the desired sourness is reached you can take portions out and freeze them just fine. Make sure to keep the remaining kraut submerged in brine. The cellar will smell like fermenting cabbage. If a slimy, white filamentous growth forms on top that smells gawd awful then chuck it. The initial fermentation did not get the pH low enough, fast enough. This is a cool weather sport unless you have a nice cool cellar in summer. Nothing like homemade pastrami and kraut. If you make your own sausage the kraut goes well in a Choucroute garni.

So let me get this straight, I need a cellar??? where do I buy one of those things at? Sounds good 3rensho...

njfoodies · June 28, 2010, 10:29:45 AM

Good info, thanks!

Now another newbie question, why only 2 hours of smoke? And how long was your actual cook time? Thanks a million! Can't wait to play with the smoker this weekend!

SnellySmokesEm · June 28, 2010, 10:39:53 AM

Quote from: njfoodies on June 28, 2010, 10:29:45 AM
Good info, thanks!

Now another newbie question, why only 2 hours of smoke? And how long was your actual cook time? Thanks a million! Can't wait to play with the smoker this weekend!

The total cook time was around 4 hours. Generally you dont want to smoke your food the entire cook, but its a preference thing. Some woods are also stronger than others. In this smoke I used Hickory which is a stronger wood. Had I been using cherry, aldar or apple (mild flavor) I would have smoked the whole time. Another example: Pulled Pork - Depending on how big you pork butt is they can take up to 20+ hours to cook. I usually only smoke those for around 8 hours.