Need help w/Pastrami

rag

Newbie

Original poster

Mar 7, 2008

26

10

Berks County, Pa.....near Phila.

• Mar 11, 2008

• #1

Using an Angus flat and the following brine (reduced by 1/2) in a zip bag, I brined for 6 days (also injected brine). The result was a gray colored interior and lacking pastrami flavor. It was smoked at 150* for 2 hrs, 3 hrs at 240* and steamed for 2 hrs.
Is this brine or the brining time correct? What did I miss?

http://usera.imagecave.com/Rag/Pastrami/

2 gallons Foat Wuth tap water
2 cups pickling salt
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Mortons's Tender Quick
1/2 cup Amesphos *optional (if you aint got none dont worry about it)
1/2 cup dried minced onyawns
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/3 cup coarse grind black pepper
2 T. dry mustard
1 T. ground Thyme
1 liberal sprinkle ground Allspice
1 chintzy sprinkle ground Cloves
4 or 5 or 6 of Joe Ames good tasting bay leaves

 

13spicerub

Meat Mopper

Sep 11, 2007

180

11

NYC

• Mar 11, 2008

• #2

im pretty sure the distinct pastrami flavor comes from juniper berries. most grocery stores carry it.

 

pne123

Meat Mopper

Jul 3, 2007

224

14

• Mar 11, 2008

• #3

juniper berries add a flavor but you still get pastrami if you do not use them. i would guess the none red color was due to the brining. I have only smoked store bought corned beef so i can not help you there but my guess is it is not fully "corned"

 

dbryson

Fire Starter

Feb 13, 2008

37

10

Nampa, NV

• Mar 12, 2008

• #4

I'm not an expert either, but it looks to me like it didn't get cured all the way through except where you did inject. If I remember right, the brining recipes I've seen talk about injecting like every inch.

As far as the flavor, in the dry rub you put on before smoking I think all the recipes I've looked include coriander. The rub I used was just black pepper, coriander, and garlic powder.

The pastrami I just made tastes like pastrami, but with a hint of corned beef; however, I started with a corned beef and I don't know if they might have spiced it during brining.

 

pne123

Meat Mopper

Jul 3, 2007

224

14

• Mar 12, 2008

• #5

my rub, i am going from memory, is
2 T fresh gound pepper
1t coriander
1t garlic powder
1t of something else...

search for my posts. I put one up about " my first pastrami, what i learned"

 

13spicerub

Meat Mopper

Sep 11, 2007

180

11

NYC

• Mar 13, 2008

• #6

did some research.

saltpeter = pink inside
no saltpeter = grey inside

the lacking flavor probably had to do with the rub

 

walking dude

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

SMF Premier Member

Aug 5, 2007

6,480

18

Des Moines, IOWA

• Mar 13, 2008

• #7

easy way to get pasterini......(couldn't help myself.......OLD qb from the cowboys, if i remember correctly, or was it houston oilers?)..........take a corn beef and just smoke it..........you have to corn the beef first, then smoke.......

 

blacklab

Master of the Pit

SMF Premier Member

Jan 12, 2008

1,040

44

Battleground Wa

• Mar 13, 2008

• #8

I beleive to get the red or pink color it has to be cured with saltpeter as said above or use cure #1 aka praque #1.

 

walking dude

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

SMF Premier Member

Aug 5, 2007

6,480

18

Des Moines, IOWA

• Mar 13, 2008

• #9

Morton's TenderQuik werks also.......its what i use for Candian Bacon....Buckboardbacon......etc........ 1 Tblsp per pound as per directions