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Starting a Pastrami

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brandon91

brandon91

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Mar 10, 2014
281
134
the pit
Making some pastrami from scratch, will probably be using a small piece of it for corned beef as well for st patrick's day

Started off by toasting some pickling spice over medium heat until very fragrant 

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Added 3 cups of kosher salt, 2 cups of white sugar and 2 cups of dark brown sugar with 1 gallon of water

Let simmer until everything is dissolved

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Filled my brine bucket with lots of ice to chill the mixture

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Added 3tbsp of cure #1 and a half head of garlic slightly crushed with enough cold water to equal 3gal of brine

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Injected a 19.8lb usda prime packer brisket with the chilled brine

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Into the brine

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added a ziploc bag full of ice and water to keep it submerged and chill further

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Into the fridge for 2 weeks, and gave it a friend to wait with; errr his friend probably wont make it 2 weeks

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updates in a few weeks! 
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  • Like
Reactions: disco
Looks good but...Adding 3 cups of kosher salt, 2 cups of white sugar and 2 cups of dark brown sugar with 1 gallon of water... This seems like an awful lot of Salt and Sugar for 1 Gallon of Brine. If I am figurin' right that is around 4.5% Salt by weight using Morton Kosher at 7.5oz per Cup. Considering 2-3% is a common amount, I am interested in the result. Thanks for posting...JJ
 
Chef JimmyJ said:
 
Looks good but...Adding 3 cups of kosher salt, 2 cups of white sugar and 2 cups of dark brown sugar with 1 gallon of water... This seems like an awful lot of Salt and Sugar for 1 Gallon of Brine. If I am figurin' right that is around 4.5% Salt by weight using Morton Kosher at 7.5oz per Cup. Considering 2-3% is a common amount, I am interested in the result. Thanks for posting...JJ
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Yes, the 1 gallon was just to dissolve the salt and sugar over the flame, I added ice and cold water to bring the final volume up to 3 gallons of brine. It's the typical pops brine, but I cut back on some of the sugar for pastrami. Thanks for looking!
smile.gif

GaryHibbert said:
 
Oh yeah.  I'm in too

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Gary
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twoalpha said:
 
Count me in. 
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Lothar1974 said:
 
Looking good! And familiar 
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SmokinAl said:
 
Great start!

Be back in 2 weeks!

Al
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tropics said:
 
I.m in

Richie

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Thanks guys!
 
PHeeeww! 
biggrin.gif
 I'm right there with you. Pops Brine is great on any Pork but too sweet for my taste on Beef. Your Pastrami should be great. Below is a seasoning you may like to try sometime, good stuff...JJ

Better 'en NY Pastrami Rub

2T Turbinado Sugar

2T Black Peppercorns

1T Coriander Seed

1T Dill Seed

1T Dry Minced Onion

1T Dry Minced Garlic

1tsp Allspice Berries

1tsp Mustard Seed

1tsp Dry Thyme Leaves

3 Bay Leaves, crumbled

1tsp Juniper Berries 

All Spices are Whole and were toasted in a dry pan over Medium heat until fragrant.

Let the Spices cool then Grind in a cheapo Coffee Grinder until slightly less than Coarse. The Garlic and Onion do not need to be toasted. If grinding do so only slightly as the Minced size is pretty close to perfect for Pastrami.

This was some some seriously Good Eats...Enjoy...
 
Chef JimmyJ said:
 
PHeeeww! 
biggrin.gif
 I'm right there with you. Pops Brine is great on any Pork but too sweet for my taste on Beef. Your Pastrami should be great. Below is a seasoning you may like to try sometime, good stuff...JJ

Better 'en NY Pastrami Rub

2T Turbinado Sugar

2T Black Peppercorns

1T Coriander Seed

1T Dill Seed

1T Dry Minced Onion

1T Dry Minced Garlic

1tsp Allspice Berries

1tsp Mustard Seed

1tsp Dry Thyme Leaves

3 Bay Leaves, crumbled

1tsp Juniper Berries 

All Spices are Whole and were toasted in a dry pan over Medium heat until fragrant.

Let the Spices cool then Grind in a cheapo Coffee Grinder until slightly less than Coarse. The Garlic and Onion do not need to be toasted. If grinding do so only slightly as the Minced size is pretty close to perfect for Pastrami.

This was some some seriously Good Eats...Enjoy...
Click to expand...
Agreed, I do the full amount for hams but thought I'd cut back for pastrami. That rub sounds great, I'll try it.
SmokinPapist said:
Sounds awesome. Going to do this with an eye of round I think real soon.
Click to expand...
Look forward to seeing it!
 
OK 2 weeks later, took the pastrami out of the brine yesterday and soaked in cold water for 3 hours then did a salt test..perfect.

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Toasted up some spices and ground them up for the rub, recipe for the rub is in post#9 by ChefJJ

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Coated the pastrami in rub and into the MES40

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@200F with pitmaster pellets in the AMNPS lit at both ends, I let it smoke

until it just hit the stall at around 152F. Took about 8hrs.

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Hard part was wrapping it in foil and waiting overnight.

SO.. next day, this is my makeshift steamer setup.

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Covered in foil and steamed in the oven until probe tender, about 4hrs, hit IT 201F

Finished product...awesome. Great bark even after steaming. Very very moist and tender.

The point end was amazing.

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Whoops out of focus

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Lots of leftovers

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Thanks for looking 
biggrin.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: twoalpha, GaryHibbert, SmokinAl and 2 others
Came out great! I do like the Points best and search them out.. Glad you liked the Rub. Worked on that one over several runs until I was satisfied...JJ 
points.gif
 
That looks fantastic nice job. Making me hungry.Picking up some Corned Beef for Patties Day may take the easy way and do one as a Pastrami. Points

Richie
 
Chef JimmyJ said:
 
Came out great! I do like the Points best and search them out.. Glad you liked the Rub. Worked on that one over several runs until I was satisfied...JJ 
points.gif
Click to expand...
I appreciate the rub recipe, it was great. Usually when I make pastrami from store corned beef I use 50/50 black pepper/coriander. This was way better, so much more complex
tropics said:
 
That looks fantastic nice job. Making me hungry.Picking up some Corned Beef for Patties Day may take the easy way and do one as a Pastrami. Points

Richie
Click to expand...
It was fantastic! 
biggrin.gif
 I think I'll make a midnight sammie right now. Theres nothing wrong with the store bought, all the ones I've made so far are delicious from the store.
 
Nice!  I might use this method.  I just picked up an already brined brisket point from the local meat market... freshley brined, not one of those small cryovac'd flats you get at the grocery store.  I'm digging the smoke and then steam method.  
 
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