can you make pastrami out of chuck?

rocco641 · Dec 2, 2009

I was wondering if you can make pastrami out of a chuck roast? I tried doing some searching but coming up with nothing. Any help with link or recipe would be great!
Thanks!!!!

newb · Dec 2, 2009

I'm not sure but i don't think it could hold up to the slicing process...Chuckies make some GREAT pulled beef though.

Don't worry I'm sure someone here has tried it and will chime in for sure.

PS Welcome and hop on over to roll call and give us a shout out.

hoser · Dec 2, 2009

It seems to me that the chuck would make a very, very fatty pastrami. The one thing that makes chuck so tender in the smoker (the fat that breaks down) is the one thing that ruins pastrami. I suppose you could try, but it would also be very difficult to slice.

Either way...post some Q-view if you try it. We'd all love to know how it would come out.

pignit · Dec 2, 2009

I've done this and it turned out very tasteeee. Not what I would call pastrami but more like a cross between pastrami and corned beef. Here is the link.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=82517

rocco641 · Dec 2, 2009

wow those look great. If you dont mind me asking. How did you cure?
Thanks

rocco641 · Dec 2, 2009

Is there any other roast that you could turn into pastrami? Briskets have skyrocketed in price in my area. So im just looking for a cheaper alternative

mballi3011 · Dec 2, 2009

I have cured a chuck roast after hearing about Ron's cured chuck raost so I tired it and it didn't cure all thw way but I cured alittle more than half way and it added a really differant almost spicey taste to it. I will do it again maybe for a chili or something lie that. But if youre are looking for the almost pastrami taste I dont think you can acheive that flavor with a cure.

hoser · Dec 2, 2009

We need one of our resident butchers here....I don't know...maybe a bottom round roast? The rounds are usually quite lean, but it would probably take a bit longer to cure.

alx · Dec 2, 2009

You will see it done with eye of the round in certain delis...

I am going to try it instead of brisket...

larry maddock · Dec 2, 2009

bottom or top round roasts are to die for

rocco641 · Dec 2, 2009

hey thanks for the help everyone! I plan to cure with tenderquick, could anyone spare some guidelines I could go by on curing. thanks again

hoser · Dec 2, 2009

The tenderquick itself should give you some guidelines in the instructions Rocco...I know its a certain amount of time in the cure per pound, or per inch of thickness, but offhand, I don't remember.

Here's a link that may help Rocco...good luck

http://www.theingredientstore.com/fo...directions.htm

bbq engineer · Dec 2, 2009

I was searching through the freezer last spring and found a chuck roast that had been in the freezer way to long. It was freezer burnt and awful looking. I thawed it out, and trimmed it back until I had nice red meat to work with, and then went through the process to make pastrami with it. It was fantastic! So to answer your question, absolutely you can make pastrami out of a chuckie.

pignit · Dec 3, 2009

One tablespoon of TQ per pound of meat.... cure 1/4 inch per day. Measure to the middle.... 2 inch thick piece of meat is 1 inch to the middle... should cure in 4 to 5 days.

rocco641 · Dec 3, 2009

the whole curing part is new to me, but im gonna jump and try it. Can I just mix up the TQ with my spices then plastic wrap and do a dry cure? Or do I need to make a brine and do a wet cure? Thanks for all the help, casey

freshmeat · Dec 3, 2009

I looked at your other thread, looks awesome. Do you soak for any period of time post cure, like in canadian bacon process if to salty post fry test (I assume no fry test on these)? Can you cure a chuckie to long? Would you share the spice ratio you used?

Thanks.

pignit · Dec 3, 2009

I didn't soak these at all. I've had really good luck with figuring the 1/4 inch per day and I will rinse well after curing and then let the meat equalize in the fridge for 1 or 2 days before I smoke. I've not had a problem with too salty. I can't help with ratios. I just sprinkle the seasonings on and smoke. If I were to guess I'd say a tablespoon of each seasoning. I don't think you can over cure... but I think the longer the meat is in the salt cure... the saltier your meat is gonna be and it's good to do a fry test just to make sure it's not too salty.

kickbacknrelax · Jan 10, 2017

Real pastrami is made from a cured section of beef muscle. The brisket is indeed a muscle, but very tough and that is why it is brined/cured. for both corned beef and pastrami. You can use chuck, but it will not cure well. Shoulder, sirloin and round sections of the beef can be cured, and made into pastrami. The cure will take from two to several weeks to do it's work. The major difference between a "corned beef" and a "Pastrami" is the process after curing....

corned beef is boiled with spices.

pastrami is slow smoked and baked

I hope this helps.

chef jimmyj · Jan 10, 2017

Corning and smoking in the case of pastrami, has been done to a variety of tough beef cut as a means of preservation for hundreds of years. Corning barrels of beef for ocean crossing was common. There is no reason a brisket or round will take the cure and a chuck won't. The chuck muscle no more or less dense than a brisket and is made up of the same proteins. If you have a source for why chuck won't cure properly, please post as I currently know of no scientific reason it won't take. Thanks...JJ

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 10, 2017

Glad we're answering questions to a 8 year old thread! Hopefully we cleared it up for them. I'm sure most these guys aren't even here anymore...

can you make pastrami out of chuck?

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