Eye of round Pastrami, mucho q-view!!

[SmokinAl]

I was at Sam's a couple of weeks ago looking for some salmon to make lox. They really didn't have any that looked good so while looking around I found a 5# eye of round, Angus choice. I have been wanting to make pastrami with a round roast for some time. I grabbed it. No trimming necessary. I injected it with as much brine as it would hold, then into a bag with the rest of the brine for 12 days. This is the brine I used.

1 gal water

1/3 cup pickling salt

1/3 cup raw sugar

2 TBS cure #1

1/3 cup pickling spices

2 bay leaves

1/8 cup granulated garlic

Into a plastic bag & into the fridge. Here it is after 12 days.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Next into an ice water bath for 4 hours.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Dry it off & coat with mustard.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Then black pepper, and wrap in plastic wrap, and into the fridge overnight.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Out of the fridge in the morning, ready for the smoker. Using the Smoke Vault with hickory and oak, lava rock & water in the water pan.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

It took about 4 hours to get to 145 IT. Rested it for a couple of hours.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Then had to cut into it for some Reuben sandwiches.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Judy made some homemade rye bread, and it's just out of the oven.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Took about half a loaf & split it in half & buttered the insides. Sliced up some pastrami.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

And started to build a sandwich for the flat top. First the pastrami, then the kraut.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Finally the Swiss cheese, then the top piece of rye.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Put a cover over it to get the inside hot. When the bottom is getting brown time to flip it.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

All flipped! LOOKS LIKE AN  ANGRY DOG WITH IT"S TONGUE HANGING OUT!!

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Here it LOOKS LIKE A GATOR AFTER THE THERM!!

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Yep ready to get the therm!!

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

Now to make the Thousand Island dressing.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

I wish I could say I had a bunch of photo's of me cutting it up, but just as I pulled it off the grill a couple of friends showed up (I think they smelled the smoke)

I cut it into 4 pieces & they all grabbed a piece before I could get the camera out of my pocket.

I have one shot of what they left for me. Nice slice, with dressing & homemade dill pickles.

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• SmokinAl
• Feb 21, 2016

The flavor was very good, the meat was extremely tender. I would definitely do this again.

It's going to be a hard choice next time between brisket & eye of round for pastrami.

Maybe I should just get another freezer & do both!

Thanks for looking!

Al

 

[worktogthr]

Wow Al! That's looks like some great pastrami and a ridiculously good looking sandwich. It's so great how smoked meat and the griddle work hand in hand. I have some short rib pastrami Vaccuum packed in the freezer... I'm going to have to griddle up a nice Reuben! Points!!!!

 

[SmokinAl]

Wow Al! That's looks like some great pastrami and a ridiculously good looking sandwich. It's so great how smoked meat and the griddle work hand in hand. I have some short rib pastrami Vaccuum packed in the freezer... I'm going to have to griddle up a nice Reuben! Points!!!!

Thanks Man!

It seems like I'm looking for ways to use the flat top, and your right they do go hand & hand.

Thank you for the point too!!

Al

 

[mowin]

That looks great.. Question, did you take it to a lower IT because its a tender cut compared to a brisket flat?
Most post's I read there taking the flat to 160* then steaming to around 200*

 

[SmokinAl]

That looks great.. Question, did you take it to a lower IT because its a tender cut compared to a brisket flat?
Most post's I read there taking the flat to 160* then steaming to around 200*

Yes, an eye of round is like a prime rib or sirloin tip, if I didn't cure it & I just smoked it for roast beef sandwiches I probably would have pulled it off at 125-130. 

But since it was cured I let it go a little longer, but no more than 145.

Your right if this was a brisket pastrami, then I would have taken it to 195-200 IT.

Al

 

[graniteman]

Got to have some, my taste buds are going crazy just thinking of biting into that sandwich.   Super job

 

[mowin]

Yes, an eye of round is like a prime rib or sirloin tip, if I didn't cure it & I just smoked it for roast beef sandwiches I probably would have pulled it off at 125-130. 
But since it was cured I let it go a little longer, but no more than 145.
Your right if this was a brisket pastrami, then I would have taken it to 195-200 IT.

Al

Makes sense. Thanks for the info..Thumbs Up

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Got to have some, my taste buds are going crazy just thinking of biting into that sandwich.   Super job

Thanks Dave!

I sent you the recipe.

Al

 

[HalfSmoked]

Central Fla. where would that be I'll be coming down 95 to 10 to 301 then cross over to 75 on my way to Sarasota will I be close enough for a sandwich? My luck probably not but I will definitely try the recipe. I was at a wild life dinner at the local American Legion on Friday evening and the had some great deer pastrami. Nice job Al.

 

[rkjjworld]

I'm very new at smoking so I'm sorry if this seems like a dumb question.  How is it that you leave meat in the fridge for 12 days without it going bad? Is it the brine? Do you trim anything off before cooking?  Sorry I feel silly for asking but that looks amazing and would love to try something like that...just can't seem to get past that college

y class and the nasty things that grow! 

 

[smokin phil]

.

 

[pc farmer]

Wow. Looks great.

Recipe for the 1000 island dressing?

 

[bdskelly]

Awesome post!.  point. b

 

[mowin]

I'm very new at smoking so I'm sorry if this seems like a dumb question.  How is it that you leave meat in the fridge for 12 days without it going bad? Is it the brine? Do you trim anything off before cooking?  Sorry I feel silly for asking but that looks amazing and would love to try something like that...just can't seem to get past that college

y class and the nasty things that grow! 

Only dumb question is one thats not asked. It's the cure#1 used in the brine that keeps the meat from going bad. It needs that length of time in the brine to completely cure the meat.
Lots of info on curing. Use the search feature on the top of the page, and you can find all kinds of great info on curing.

 

[chef jimmyj]

 
I'm very new at smoking so I'm sorry if this seems like a dumb question.  How is it that you leave meat in the fridge for 12 days without it going bad? Is it the brine? Do you trim anything off before cooking?  Sorry I feel silly for asking but that looks amazing and would love to try something like that...just can't seem to get past that college

This is a little more than what you are asking for but...

Think about the hundreds of years before refrigeration? You slaughter the families 1500 pound Steer. You can only eat Fresh Beef for a couple weeks, then what? Enter Salt, Smoke and later Cure with Nitrate/Nitrite. Coat the meat in salt, or soak in a Brine, to kill initial Bacteria then a long rest to remove some moisture to further inhibit any new bacterial growth then get the added preservative benefits and flavor of Smoke and now the remaining hundreds of pounds of meat lasts the year rather than a few weeks all without refrigeration. 

Yes this is a very basic description of one preservation method and in this case we are really only are after flavor rather than long preservation but describes how to keep meat edible past the 4-5 days it takes for a Beef Roast to get funky in the refer...JJ

 

[jetsknicks1]

Awesome job, that looks amazing. :points:

 

[SmokinAl]

 
I'm very new at smoking so I'm sorry if this seems like a dumb question.  How is it that you leave meat in the fridge for 12 days without it going bad? Is it the brine? Do you trim anything off before cooking?  Sorry I feel silly for asking but that looks amazing and would love to try something like that...just can't seem to get past that college

The meat is being cured with Cure#1. All the pathogens are killed in the curing process, nothing left to spoil the meat.

Al

Noooice!!!!!!

Thanks Phil!

Thanks for the point!

Al

Wow. Looks great.

Recipe for the 1000 island dressing?

Thank-you!

1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup dill pickles diced, 1/2 TB Apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, 1 TB minced garlic, S&P to taste

Thanks for the point!

Al

 
Awesome post!.  point. b

Thanks B!

Thanks for the point too!

 
This is a little more than what you are asking for but...

Think about the hundreds of years before refrigeration? You slaughter the families 1500 pound Steer. You can only eat Fresh Beef for a couple weeks, then what? Enter Salt, Smoke and later Cure with Nitrate/Nitrite. Coat the meat in salt, or soak in a Brine, to kill initial Bacteria then a long rest to remove some moisture to further inhibit any new bacterial growth then get the added preservative benefits and flavor of Smoke and now the remaining hundreds of pounds of meat lasts the year rather than a few weeks all without refrigeration. 

Yes this is a very basic description of one preservation method and in this case we are really only are after flavor rather than long preservation but describes how to keep meat edible past the 4-5 days it takes for a Beef Roast to get funky in the refer...JJ

Awesome job, that looks amazing.

Thanks Buddy!

Thanks for the point too!

Al

 

[SmokinAl]

 

Central Fla. where would that be I'll be coming down 95 to 10 to 301 then cross over to 75 on my way to Sarasota will I be close enough for a sandwich? My luck probably not but I will definitely try the recipe. I was at a wild life dinner at the local American Legion on Friday evening and the had some great deer pastrami. Nice job Al.

Your going to be about 1 hour north of me on I-4. 

I'll leave the light on!

Thanks for the point!

Al

 

[dstar26t]

Al,

That pastrami looks incredible, nice work.  The cure made it all the way to the center without injecting?  Looks like it was 4-5" thick?

Nate

 

[SmokinAl]

 
Al,

That pastrami looks incredible, nice work.  The cure made it all the way to the center without injecting?  Looks like it was 4-5" thick?

Nate

Thank-you!

I injected it & pumped as much brine inside that it would hold.

Then into the bag with the rest of the brine.

I probably should go back and change that in the original post.

Al