Splitting a Brisket

[SiFumar]

Yesterday I was going to start a cure for brisket, to make a pastrami.  I had picked up an 18 lb choice packer.  (Couldn't find a smaller one) When I was looking at it I knew it wouldn't fit in my curing tub.  Didn't want to just slice it in chunks either.  So I said to myself "let me try separate the point from the flat".  If ll else fails...I'll just grind it up for burger.  Well, managed to get a picture of half the process.  Hard to stop for pics since I'm doing it all lol.  Actually once you find the ribbon of fat between the flat and point wasn't hard to do.  Once done next decision was should I just smoke the point and cure the flat? Well since we all love pastrami, and I have to take some to AZ next week, well curing all of it.  Since being separated and some fat trimmed, both fit nicely in tub.

I like to roll back the meat, easier to move out of way.





Fit both nicely in container.  To be continued next week with smoking in the Bradley!

[Saber 4]

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out Sandy!

[Tenpoint5]

Nice recovery Sandy!!

[Smokeville]

Sandy, this is exactly what I'm hoping to try with the brisket I have in my freezer...

Question: how did you find the fat ribbon? Did you start with the fat-cap down, and search from the flat towards the point?

Also, have you tried Montreal Smoked Meat?

Here is the recipe I used, from Martin Picard "The Wild Chef" in Quebec. (Note that either Habenero Smoker or Tenpoint5 said there was way too much pink salt in this recipe. You could probably do at least a 12lb brisket instead of the 5lb listed in the recipe)

Brisket

    4 quarts water
    1 ¼ cups kosher salt
    1 cup maple syrup
    2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. pink salt (Prague powder #1)
    2 ½ tbsp. fresh garlic, peeled and minced
    1 cup leeks, green parts only
    1 sprig thyme
    1 sprig rosemary
    1 bay leaf
    2 tbsp. red wine
    5 lb. beef brisket

    Dry Rub
    3 ½ tbsp. black peppercorns
    1 tsp. dill seed
    3 tbsp. coriander seed
    1 ½ tsp. yellow mustard seed
    1 tbsp. celery seed
    1 tbsp. fennel seed
    2 tbsp. garlic powder
    1 tbsp. onion powder
    1 ½ tsp crushed red chiles

Smoke until 165F, then transfer to roasting pan and steam it until 180-190F

Regards, Rich

[SiFumar]

Rich, I have eaten Monreal Smoked meat but haven't tried making it.  Thanks for the recipe!  As for the amount of cure in it...not an expert on it and usually defer to those more learned on it.  Tho the recipe I usually follow for the brine is HS's  from here http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?157-Beef-Pastrami

The recipe for the brine (for the pastrami)uses 1 1/2 ounces or about 8 tsp of cure for 4 qt water.  I know for dry cure it's usually 1 tsp per 5 lbs.  Another thing, maybe 4 qts is to much brine for a small piece of meat(<5lbs) Maybe Hab can come on and enlighten me too!

To find the ribbon of fat, I did work with the fat cap down, ran my fingers along it till I felt a "more gelatinous" fat....only way I can describe it.  It's not a firm fat but kinda squishy. Then poked the knife in to start separating it.  It turned out quit easy from there, as you can see rolling back the top helped.

Hope I was able to help you some.
Sandy

[tailfeathers]

I'll be watching this thread closely, "pastrami-izing" a packer is high on my to-do list. I had a corned beef point in the freezer that I picked up cheap after St Pat's so I cheated and am trying the "quick and easy" method from the recipe site with it, it's been rubbed since Wednesday afternoon and gets smoked when the butts come off tomorrow. I would have preferred a flat of course, but the points were only 1.49 so I figured what the heck, how bad can it be?

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Rich;

I wouldn't have said it was too much Prague Powder #1 (cure #1), the amount you are adding totals to  about 1.35 ounces per gallon of water.

Sandy;

You can have too little brine, but never too much brine. If a brine has the same ratio of ingredients, it would not matter if you brined a 3 pound chicken it one gallon or in 55 gallons of the same brine, it will brine at the same rate.

[SiFumar]

Thanks HS!  I knew that answer...guess I meant that for a smaller amount of meat I'd cut the brine down to save on product.  I didn't think the amount of cure in the brine was wrong due to your recipe I follow. :)

I'll be watching this thread closely, "pastrami-izing" a packer is high on my to-do list. I had a corned beef point in the freezer that I picked up cheap after St Pat's so I cheated and am trying the "quick and easy" method from the recipe site with it, it's been rubbed since Wednesday afternoon and gets smoked when the butts come off tomorrow. I would have preferred a flat of course, but the points were only 1.49 so I figured what the heck, how bad can it be?

I do packers often...just never separated point from flat.  I personally prefer the point as I like the fat in it.  I do the "cheat" method when I get the pre- corned briskets after St Patty's also.  Nothing wrong doing that!

[Smokeville]

Hi HS;

I'll look up who told me it was too much.. it was on a thread here last year. Maybe I misunderstood the response (which is likely).

So, is the 1.35 oz per gallon a standard cure#1 ratio? I usually use dry cures.

Rich

[Smokeville]

Hi again HS;

Here's what you said in 2013....

Hi Rich;

From what I see of that recipe, one gallon would be enough to cure up to 25 pounds of meats, just try to prevent crowding the meat in the container while curing. You can try cutting it against the grain. If it still falls apart you may have to cut it thicker.


I understood that to mean that since the original recipe was for a 5lb brisket, there was 5 times too much pink salt.

Rich

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi HS;

I'll look up who told me it was too much.. it was on a thread here last year. Maybe I misunderstood the response (which is likely).

So, is the 1.35 oz per gallon a standard cure#1 ratio? I usually use dry cures.

Rich

For wet brines you have a range, depending on what color and flavor you want in your final product. It can also depend on what you want to cure. You would want to use lower amount of cure #1 if you are curing bacons that will be fried at higher temperatures at a later time. The 1.35 oz/gal is a tad low for me, but it is alright to use. I use a range from 1.5 oz/gal up to 3.2 oz/gal; 4.2 oz/gal is the maximum safe level. I use less cure #1 when making corned beef and pastrami, and more when I make hams. I generally use 3.2 oz/gal for hams.

Hi again HS;

Here's what you said in 2013....

Hi Rich;

From what I see of that recipe, one gallon would be enough to cure up to 25 pounds of meats, just try to prevent crowding the meat in the container while curing. You can try cutting it against the grain. If it still falls apart you may have to cut it thicker.


I understood that to mean that since the original recipe was for a 5lb brisket, there was 5 times too much pink salt.

Rich

Though it would be better to see the entire conversation, and not just a few sentences, it looks like I was referring to how much meat can be brined in the amount of brine you were making. When I say there is enough brine to cure up to; that means you can cure any lower amount and up to 25 pounds maximum. So you did misunderstand what I was saying. Refer to my previous response to Sandy.

[Smokeville]

Thanks so much, HS.

Yes, I sure did misunderstand. I find dry cures a lot easier math wise than wet curing. This helps a whole lot!!!

Rich

[Habanero Smoker]

Though I prefer using a dry cure, and it generally takes up less room in the refrigerator; once you understand the wet brining process, it can be easier. Also wet brining takes less curing time.

[SiFumar]

Sorry y'all, as usual my life got in the way so I couldn't continue.  So after 5 days of brineing (I injected the thicker areas) I soaked for 24 hours in fresh water, changing water often.  This is where life thru me a curve ball  :)...I couldn't continue the process.  So I dried off the meat and froze it.  Not something I had done before. This week I thawed out and continued. Put the pastrami spices on, wrapped for 24hrs, air dried for 8 hrs.  I personally like my pastrami smoked with hickory.  I smoked for 4 hours. Then I steamed until 165 IT.  Cooled, (tasted) and wrapped, refrigerated again. Finally sliced.  Wow! Loved it! Don't know if it would have been different if done sooner.  All I can say it was delicious brined!

[squirtthecat]

Gimme a fork...

Hammer Time!!!   ;D