- Jun 28, 2015
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- 296
Still trying to get all the results posted from my Sunday Smoke Fest
I offer for your viewing pleasure, Pastrami made from Corned Beef.
This has been on my bucket list for a few months, since I first read about it. Wife doesn't like Pastrami, Sauerkraut, etc. so this one is all for me.
At 3:30 PM Saturday afternoon, I opened the corned beef package and placed it in cold water that covered it and into the fridge.
At 9PM I changed the water.
At 7AM I pulled it out of the fridge. It had a small portion of point on it. I cut it off so I would have nice even slices with consistent bark when done. I season the small point like normal brisket and added it to the Chucky burnt ends I was also doing.
After patting dry, I used some "deli" mustard for the base for the rub. Then I did "traditional pastrami rub"
4 tablespoons fresh coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coriander powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
It went the MES 30 @225 with AMNPS 40/40/20 Apple/Cherry/Pecan at 9AM
As mentioned in my other post this smoke went weird in beginning. Both the brisket and the pastrami brisket got to 150 really fast. I know my smoker temps were running as they should, I double and triple checked with different air probes etc. So instead of pulling at 150, I pulled at 165, which happened at 11:15 AM.
I setup foil pan with rack inside it, and enough broth to provide steam and covered with foil, until it hit 203 at 12:30pm. (See notes below about this step)
I let it rest on counter until it cool some, and then put it into the fridge. Around 6pm I pulled it out and sliced it. I was really concerned with how tough it felt while slicing, but "rolled with it". I put enough for 2 Reubens in the fridge and vacuum packed enough for a 3rd, could have easily stretch to at least 4 sandwiches, but I like lots of meat on my sandwich!
For lunch today I turned the first of the two packages I have in the fridge into a Reuben.
Notes from the smoke: Recipes are all over the map on Pastrami, but after doing this one, I think that unless you are eating right away, skip the steam step and steam as you use it. I also don't think that steaming it whole accomplishes the same thing as steam slices, as far as tenderness goes, the sampling I did while slicing was definitely tougher than it was on the sandwich I made today. I still don't know if it was a fluke how quick it hit 150 or ?. Next time I might cold smoke it for an hour or two before turning up the smoker, so that I can get more smoke. Bark is great and I think the deli mustard was an inspired idea, but I think I will only put rub on "top" in the future. I will definitely do this again, but will wait until I have a slicer (next purchase on my list), I think thinner slices combined with the steaming would make perfect tender slices. I would like to do my own curing, but hard to devote space in RV fridge, so I will have to use store bought corned beef.
Some Pics including bonus footage from Sandwich today.
When it came out of smoker.
All sliced up
So my biggest challenge today was how to steam without a steam pan. Living fulltime in an RV, you have to pick your kitchen gadgets wisely! So I placed one of my cooling racks over a 1 quart pan and placed the slices on the rack.
Then placed the lid over the pastrami. This worked perfectly. And the slices where much more tender than they were from my sampling right out of the smoker.
Not the pretties sandwich but it sure was tasty and hit the spot, today!!!
I offer for your viewing pleasure, Pastrami made from Corned Beef.
This has been on my bucket list for a few months, since I first read about it. Wife doesn't like Pastrami, Sauerkraut, etc. so this one is all for me.
At 3:30 PM Saturday afternoon, I opened the corned beef package and placed it in cold water that covered it and into the fridge.
At 9PM I changed the water.
At 7AM I pulled it out of the fridge. It had a small portion of point on it. I cut it off so I would have nice even slices with consistent bark when done. I season the small point like normal brisket and added it to the Chucky burnt ends I was also doing.
After patting dry, I used some "deli" mustard for the base for the rub. Then I did "traditional pastrami rub"
4 tablespoons fresh coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coriander powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
It went the MES 30 @225 with AMNPS 40/40/20 Apple/Cherry/Pecan at 9AM
As mentioned in my other post this smoke went weird in beginning. Both the brisket and the pastrami brisket got to 150 really fast. I know my smoker temps were running as they should, I double and triple checked with different air probes etc. So instead of pulling at 150, I pulled at 165, which happened at 11:15 AM.
I setup foil pan with rack inside it, and enough broth to provide steam and covered with foil, until it hit 203 at 12:30pm. (See notes below about this step)
I let it rest on counter until it cool some, and then put it into the fridge. Around 6pm I pulled it out and sliced it. I was really concerned with how tough it felt while slicing, but "rolled with it". I put enough for 2 Reubens in the fridge and vacuum packed enough for a 3rd, could have easily stretch to at least 4 sandwiches, but I like lots of meat on my sandwich!
For lunch today I turned the first of the two packages I have in the fridge into a Reuben.
Notes from the smoke: Recipes are all over the map on Pastrami, but after doing this one, I think that unless you are eating right away, skip the steam step and steam as you use it. I also don't think that steaming it whole accomplishes the same thing as steam slices, as far as tenderness goes, the sampling I did while slicing was definitely tougher than it was on the sandwich I made today. I still don't know if it was a fluke how quick it hit 150 or ?. Next time I might cold smoke it for an hour or two before turning up the smoker, so that I can get more smoke. Bark is great and I think the deli mustard was an inspired idea, but I think I will only put rub on "top" in the future. I will definitely do this again, but will wait until I have a slicer (next purchase on my list), I think thinner slices combined with the steaming would make perfect tender slices. I would like to do my own curing, but hard to devote space in RV fridge, so I will have to use store bought corned beef.
Some Pics including bonus footage from Sandwich today.
When it came out of smoker.
All sliced up
So my biggest challenge today was how to steam without a steam pan. Living fulltime in an RV, you have to pick your kitchen gadgets wisely! So I placed one of my cooling racks over a 1 quart pan and placed the slices on the rack.
Then placed the lid over the pastrami. This worked perfectly. And the slices where much more tender than they were from my sampling right out of the smoker.
Not the pretties sandwich but it sure was tasty and hit the spot, today!!!
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