MY FIRST PASTRAMI W/QUE VIEW

[chef willie]

I gave up buying lousy pastrami years ago after moving to the West Coast from NYC. Thanks to the information found here on SMF I can now make my own. Since this was my first attempt and St. Patricks Day is near I picked up a 'choice' grade 3.5# corned beef from the Costco. Hoping after St. Paddys Day the price drops on all the leftover corned beefs. I did an overnight soak to remove the funk with multiple changes of water. Next was the fresh spice rub and a film wrap for another overnighter. Into the smoker with 2 chunks of cherry wood and 2 rows of apple dust in the AMNS for a 10 hour smoke at 225. Removed it at 170 IT, wrapped in foil and let rest for 3 hours before it went back into the fridge for an overnight rest. Unwrapped the next day and gave it a 2 hour steam with a sack of crab boil added to the water using an old steam basket and a 4 inch high sided chicken fryer which worked pretty slick. The smell was fantastic....a heady aroma of meat & spices. Onto the slicer and into the container...grabbed the rye bread, horseradish mustard and pickles. Off to the bar for beers and sammys with the crew. Not a scrap was left after an hour so I was quite happy with the outcome & will do this again with a bigger one.

CB1.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

CB2.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

CB3.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

ready for smoker

CB4.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

CB6.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

PASTRAMI DONE.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

STEAMER1.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

PILE O PASTRAMI.jpg

• chef willie
• Mar 8, 2013

 

[kathrynn]

Looking yummy good Chef! 

Kat

 

[pgsmoker64]

Looks great Willie!  I love pastrami.

Bill

 

[sound1]

I can see why that didn't last long. 

 

[rdknb]

that looks great, well done

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Looks great Willie! FYI Cash and Carry has had full corned beef packers on sale.

 

[dewetha]

thanks for sharing, that looks better than anything i have seen in a deli window !

 

[woodcutter]

Nice!

 

[chef willie]

Looks great Willie! FYI Cash and Carry has had full corned beef packers on sale.

Thanks everybody for the comments. Yeah, DS...saw that. I was up there last week for an event. 2.28 a # for the 'full' packers, average weight 15 pounds....way to big for me at the moment and not that crazy about freezing them. The C&C by me also had spares for 1.38 a #, 3 slabs to a cyrovac pak. $6.39 a # for Angus primes!! whoop whoop

 

[humdinger]

Nice job. Is steaming a normal part of the process of making pastrami?

 

[dls1]

Nice job. Is steaming a normal part of the process of making pastrami?

It certainly is a very nice job. Congrats on your first effort, Chef Willie.

To me, steaming is much more than "normal part of the process of making pastrami". It's a requirement, along with a few other traditional procedures. I make a pretty fair amount of pastrami and have done so for over 30 years. I've always steamed it to finish. Without this step what you have is smoked corned beef, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. It's just not pastrami. Really hard core traditionalists typically apply steam twice, with a days refrigerated rest in between. I've done that a few times, but normally just steam once.

 

[snorkelinggirl]

Hey Chef Willie,

You're so cool!  I love to read about your latest cooking adventure!

I have a 7# brisket thawing out in the refrigerator right now.Hadn't yet decided how to prepare it, but after reading your post I think I'm going to follow your lead and turn this sucker into pastrami!

Have a great weekend! Enjoy our lovely sunshine!

Clarissa

 

[mneeley490]

It certainly is a very nice job. Congrats on your first effort, Chef Willie.

To me, steaming is much more than "normal part of the process of making pastrami". It's a requirement, along with several other procedures. I make a pretty fair amount of pastrami and have done so for over 30 years, and I've always steamed it to finish. Without this step what you have is smoked corned beef, and there is certainly wrong with that. It's just not pastrami. Really hard core traditionalists typically apply steam twice, with a days refrigerated rest in between. I've done that a few times, but normally just steam once.

I bought one of those C&C corned beef packers and will be smoking on Sunday. I've made pastrami before, but it didn't seem quite the same as what I get at a good deli. I am intrigued by the steaming requirement. Thanks for the detail. I see you have a chunk in the steamer, but do you usually steam before or after slicing? Or both? I separated the point from the flat on my packer, but the total weight is over 16 lbs., so obviously I'm going to have to cut it up to steam.

I've heard you can get similar results microwaving a few slices at a time with a little water?

 

[bigridgeback]

Looks like a super pastrami. 

 

[chef willie]

I bought one of those C&C corned beef packers and will be smoking on Sunday. I've made pastrami before, but it didn't seem quite the same as what I get at a good deli. I am intrigued by the steaming requirement. Thanks for the detail. I see you have a chunk in the steamer, but do you usually steam before or after slicing? Or both? I separated the point from the flat on my packer, but the total weight is over 16 lbs., so obviously I'm going to have to cut it up to steam.

I've heard you can get similar results microwaving a few slices at a time with a little water?

I've read reports of both ways happening. Some will steam fat slices for dinner service and thinner slices for sammys will get an aus jus treatment. It's ez to steam the whole hunk, then slice. With the leftovers, I'm assuming bagged up & possibly frozen, these can be re-steamed gently for sandwich assembly with maybe some pickling spice tossed into the steamer water. I am personally totally against microwaving most things...meat being a big no. I know some units have 'brains' and power can be adjusted etc etc...but I'm old school with that. I'be heard the point makes an excellent pastrami although it's fattier.

 

[chef willie]

Hey Chef Willie,

You're so cool!  I love to read about your latest cooking adventure!

I have a 7# brisket thawing out in the refrigerator right now.Hadn't yet decided how to prepare it, but after reading your post I think I'm going to follow your lead and turn this sucker into pastrami!

Have a great weekend! Enjoy our lovely sunshine!

Clarissa

LOL...well, thx C. Pastrami was another very elusive thing to do on my list. I had visions of 4 inch thick pastrami sandwiches on rye bread like I used to see in NY or on Fairfax Ave. in LA....slathered with yellow mustard and dripping juice down your arm. & pounds sounds about right...have some friends and neighbors over for a treat. Maybe some Ruebens? OMG....that would be sublime. Enjoy..allow plenty of time....it did stall somewhat but can be pulled around 160 IT and steamed to finish the next day with no harm

 

[beefmeister]

Chef Willie, that's pure inspiration. WOW

As my first endeavor is to make my own corned beef than graduate to Patrami and I am now even more inspired. Guess my fourth batch of bacon will just have to chill....literally

Crab Boil...whoda thought !!

 

[venture]

Excellent!

Our sales won't hit here until next week.  Then?  Time to restock the freezer.

Great choice on going with the flat!  A little more money but worth it for the reduced amount of fat.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[mneeley490]

Chef Willie, seems like we both have the same vision. I've had pastrami at the famous delis in NYC and L.A. also. Now if I could just figure out how to make half sours...

 Still, the best pastrami I've ever had is made by a somewhat reclusive guy here in my own town, called "Barney's". Nice guy, and his place has been written up locally several times, but he refuses to grant interviews to food columnists, and isn't a conversationalist behind the counter, either. He does the "au jus" treatment you described, an piles the meat high on hogie rolls. Dang, I've made myself hungry now; I guess I'll  have to go get one.

Mike

 

[bear55]

Outstanding!!