Beef Pastrami - First Attempt

ExpatCanadian · April 23, 2009, 02:36:03 AM

So, I confidentally marched into my local butcher yesterday to get me some brisket... was asked how much I wanted and said "The whole thing... separated, if you please, into the point and the flat cuts". I figured I was pretty sh*t hot, knowing exactly what to ask for, being all newly educated on the finer points of brisket science courtesy of you lot here and general reading elsewhere. So, I was rather deflated when I was met with a somewhat blank look... and shown a "whole" brisket... complete with bones.... and various prepared "rolled" brisket roasts of various weights, tied into shape with butchers string.

I recover my wits and explain exactly what I'm doing and the cut I'm after and we finally get to common ground. It turns out that for the most part, the UK market eats brisket as these rolled brisket roasts which they pot roast. I'm an ex-pat Canadian.... and the butcher is from Slovenia... so we both have a somewhat international perspective on what things are called in different places.

So, after some discussion, I had him cut the strings on a few of his roasts to flatten them out so I could inspect the thickness and marbling etc.... my intention being Pastrami I didn't want TOO much fat, just a thin(ish) layer on top to preserve moisture during the smoke. I settled on a nice 5lb piece. One nice thing about this particular butcher (I've mentioned it before, I'm a big fan of their business philosophy... called the Ginger Pig) is that all of their beef come direct from their own farms and already dry-aged for 28 days.... so already nice and tender... no further wet-aging necessary!

We chatted a bit more, and oddly enough he knows a lots of the American names for various pork cuts.... I was asking about a Butt.... wanted to make sure we were on the same page before I queued him up for a future order, my next smoke after the Pastrami is going to be a Butt..... anyway, he immediately said, "Oh, you mean Boston Butt".... turns out in his previous butcher shop he had lots of American customers who would order this cut. So.... I'm in good hands with the pork.

Anyway, I got home... rubbed in the dry cure and my brisket is now about 18 hours into it's 4 day cure. Sunday is smokin' day! I did take some photos, but will have to post them later as I am writing this at work and my camera is at home.

Incidentally, I am following Habanero Smoker's recipe over on the recipes site. Can't get Morton's Tender Quick over here, so am using his substitute.

Photos to follow shortly....

Habanero Smoker · April 23, 2009, 02:57:34 AM

Looks like you are well on your way. I prefer the substitute over Morton's TQ, but have to say when I first used the substitute I could tell the difference in flavor.

Pictures would be nice. If you have the time and don't mind some extra clean up you should try steaming your pastrami.

Steaming Pastrami

ExpatCanadian · April 23, 2009, 03:50:31 AM

Thanks! I will definately post some photos this evening, and have had a good read through your steaming method, but haven't yet decided if I'm going to use it this time round. Would kind of rather go original... and judge the consistancy and moisture content for myself initially and then decide if I need to more or less moist.

I hope I get decent results with the MTQ substitute, I realised after I'd already weighed everything out and mixed it up that my pickling salt (Used Windsor Coarse Salt) particle size was significantly larger than the other components. I also used turbinado sugar as suggested (actually demerara, which is what it's referred to as here in the UK)... and my result is a cure with about 4 significantly differing particle sizes. Anyway, I made a big effort to get a uniform mix in spite of this.... and think I succeeded, but next time some pre-mix work with my mortar/pestle will be in order.

I am back home in Canada for a few weeks this summer visiting family, and will spend part of that in WA state... so will try to find some MTQ just to have on hand to experiment with. I'm already getting quite a shopping list...!! Also high on the list are some Dizzy Pig rubs... if only they would ship over here!!

ExpatCanadian · April 23, 2009, 03:04:43 PM

Ok, photos as promised!
The Rolled Brisket

Unfettered!

Rubbed and ready....

FLBentRider · April 23, 2009, 06:22:48 PM

If the brisket was more than an inch thick, you may want to add a couple of days to the curing time.

The last batch I did was not cured all the way through in 4 days.

ExpatCanadian · April 27, 2009, 03:24:00 AM

Well... tonight's the night. I decided to give it an extra 18 hrs or so of curing time, but couldn't go any longer as I simply don't have the time this week to devote to getting it done. So I got up early this morning to give it a rinse and soaked it in fresh cold wate for just over 2 hours, changing the water once.... so hopefully that will reduce the saltiness down some. I gave it a pat dry with some paper towel and it's now sitting on a wire rack in my fridge waiting for the rub, which will happen when I get home from work this evening. Then... an evening smoke... FTC for a couple hours and hopefully around midnight I'll be able to get it wrapped and in the fridge for it's final "rest" before eating!

My wife is very much looking forward to some reuben sandwiches later this week. I ferment my own sauerkraut and dill pickles too so most of the sandwich will be my own produce! I would try to make the rye bread too... but bread isn't my forté.... (yet!!).

I'm slightly concerned that my brisket was too lean.... but I'll see how it's looking when it hits an IT of around 140... and I may end up finishing it off using Hab. Smokers steaming method. I don't want to use bacon on it, as I think it would change the flavour of it... I want it to taste like pastrami after all... not bacon wrapped brisket!

Had a very busy weekend overall... did 7 kg of salmon too... but that's gonna be a different post!

Habanero Smoker · April 27, 2009, 02:01:49 PM

Homemade ferment sauerkraut and dill pickles for a ruben. I may get over my fear of flying and head across the Alantic.

For pastrami, you don't want too much of a fat cap, and it looks well marbles. You only need to take it to 160°F - 165°F, not the 185°F - 210°F for smoked brisket. Just slice it deli thin across the grain.

ExpatCanadian · April 28, 2009, 03:38:45 AM

You're welcome anytime! but would you believe I went into my fridge last night to dig out the last jar of last summers pickles and MY WIFE HAD EATEN THEM ALL!!!!!! So... gonna have to rely on nasty UK store bought ones.... or go without. Plenty of sauerkraut though and my cucumbers are growing nicely so in about 8 weeks I'll be able to start a new batch.

I did the smoke last night, and it went really well.... used 250F during the first 90 minutes of smoke, then I dropped the temperature to 220F. Pretty much textbook, steady rise in temp until it hit "the stall" around 147, where it sat for a good 40 minutes or so before resuming it's climb. Around halfway through it started to rain, so I scrambled pretty quick to improvise a shelter for it..... it's amazing what you can do in a hurry with a weber BBQ cover, some 2x4's and a few bricks!

Anyway, pulled it out at a final IT of 166F and got it FTC'd within a few minutes. By this time it was nearly midnight, and I really needed some beauty sleep so it only got about 80 minutes before I pulled it out and stuck it in the fridge.... hopefully not FTCing for the full 2 hours doesn't affect it too much.

Fridge smelled amazing this morning, but I resisted the urge to have fresh pastrami for breakfast! I'll try it tonight, but it's tomorrows reubens I'm really looking forward to!

To make up for the lack of photos of the process I'll post a few tonight of the finished product!

Tenpoint5 · April 28, 2009, 05:49:31 AM

Sounds like everything is falling into place nicely for you TD. Looking forward to the finished Pics.

ExpatCanadian · April 28, 2009, 10:01:09 AM

WOW is all I can say. I can't believe I made this.... I'll never buy commercially produced Pastrami again, this was too easy! It took time... but mostly waiting time, not like it was work or anything! It's SUPER moist.... beautiful texture and flavour... My only problem is I don't own a meat slicer so simply by nature of the fact that it's brisket means it's a bit chewy.... a problem that would for sure solve itself if I could only slice it thinner. Any suggestions?

Anyway, rather than keep you in suspense, here are the promised pics. The first is after I unwrapped it from it's plastic wrap/foil covering that it was FTC'd in 24(ish) hours ago. The second is of the first couple of slices.... which didn't last very long at all ;D

Unwrapped!

Sliced!

Tenpoint5 · April 28, 2009, 10:10:48 AM

That looks Great!!! I am definitely ready for a Reuben sammie after looking at them pics.

westexasmoker · April 28, 2009, 10:25:20 AM

Very nice tdc....VERY NICE!

C

easyridinole · April 28, 2009, 10:38:24 AM

That looks awesome!! Yet another project I am going to have to try. ;D

smokeitall · April 28, 2009, 12:07:36 PM

That looks better than any store product I have ever purchased. I gotta add another one to the really, really long to-do list.

Caneyscud · April 28, 2009, 01:04:10 PM

First off, that is mighty fine looking eats. I've got some rye, sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard and swiss cheese, just waiting here for you to send the requisite samples to gray-haired curmudgens.

Secondly - never ever forget the Bradley Pledge - you are letting out too much information that in the wrong hands can be detrimental to the enjoyment of our journey to smoking nirvana! Others have said that in the wrong hands, the release of that information could tend to curtail the consumption of adult beverages.

Quote from: tdcooper on April 28, 2009, 10:01:09 AM
......., this was too easy! It took time... but mostly waiting time, not like it was work or anything!

The pledge -- "We pledge, under the penalty of having our Bradley melt into nothingness, never to tell our OR especially anyone else's adoring and admiring family (particularly significant others) and friends, the SECRET (the ease) of Bradley Smoking. We further Pledge to use our Bradleys as often as possible so as to never let our family and friends be without smoked delicacies. There are just some things that should not be smoked and until we find out what they are, we Pledge to smoke everything we can catch, drag to the smoker, wrap in bacon, and fit into our Bradleys."

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Aire
Pontificator Extraordinaire'