Featured Pastrami - A "Famous" NYC Copy Kat 😼 (Almost)

[miller51]

Started with a about a 14# brisket and trimmed some, but not too much, mostly just cleaned up that super thick fat where the point and flat meet.

Into the brine for 10 days flipping every other day (see recipe below), pulled and placed into just cold water for about 16 hours to rinse and remove a little salt.

Mixed most of a "rumored" version of the rub and placed on the brisket for a couple hours while it came up to room temp.

On the smoker at 200* around 10pm and ran over night to 152* around 7am. Got up the next morning and bumped it up to 235* and the plan was to run until the brisket hit 170* then wrap but it was moving along nicely and looked good so decided to just ride it out no wrap. Finished up around 3pm and wrapped for a couple hr nap for the hold... Pastrami sandwiches for dinner on a freshly baked homemade sourdough (not a rye fan unless we're talking about whiskey)

Pulled it at 203* and rested it for 3 hours while I worked on a side and sauce. (Yes that's the "blue box" and the sauce is a quick rendition of a Russian dressing)

2 weeks of work but finally on a plate... It was amazing! Great flavor, awesome peppery crust

 

[mr_whipple]

Wow!! That looks sooooo good. I'm hatin big time. Been to the K place once about 10 years ago.

 

[Jim_C]

Nice looking pastrami! Great looking plate of food.......Nice job.

 

[Fueling Around]

Looks good. I'm guessing you used the MH recipe?
Going to start a tri-tip pastrami tomorrow. This will be a dry brine/cure based on the thirdeye method. Cheaper than a brisket and smaller for the two of us to eat.
Great sourdough. Nice sling.
I agree Rye is best in liquid form.

 

[sandyut]

Looks great! one day I hope to make my own

 

[JLinza]

That lookin good. I'd take a sammich

 

[chilerelleno]

Simply superb looking, bet it was a flavor orgasm.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

That looks phenomenal! Back when I could afford briskets I cut the flat off and cured them.

 

[miller51]

Wow!! That looks sooooo good. I'm hatin big time. Been to the K place once about 10 years ago.

Thanks... didn't taste exactly like it, but I didn't steam it... but I also didn't wait all day and pay close the what this whole brisket cost

Nice looking pastrami! Great looking plate of food.......Nice job.

Thanks, appreciate it, it was along journey

Looks good. I'm guessing you used the MH recipe?
Going to start a tri-tip pastrami tomorrow. This will be a dry brine/cure based on the thirdeye method. Cheaper than a brisket and smaller for the two of us to eat.
Great sourdough. Nice sling.
I agree Rye is best in liquid form.

You are correct, MH provided the base but threw my own preferences in for some of it. I actually did this for the first time last Christmas for Christmas dinner and it came out really good, now that I've done it a couple times, I definitely need to try a different (less expensive) meat or 2 to see how they work too.

Looks great! one day I hope to make my own

Definitely do it... I was super nervous about screwing up a pricy cut of meat but no risk, no reward and after almost 2 weeks in the making and 17hrs on the smoker... this is definitely a reward

That lookin good. I'd take a sammich

Thanks... it turned out great and I was able to get great sandwich slices the next day.

Simply superb looking, bet it was a flavor orgasm.

You said it... surprisingly the impromptu Russian dressing made it...

That looks phenomenal! Back when I could afford briskets I cut the flat off and cured them.

Funny you said that, the prices lately are killing me, I looked at a couple year old brisket post of mine and it was ridiculous the price difference. I actually picked it up 24% off at Sam's for $3.92#. Not awesome by any means, but better than the $9.82# they're charging for just the flats... actually picked up 2 more (1 was a prime) and threw them in the freezer for a later date while I spotted an ok price.

 

[jcam222]

Looks tasty!! Did you use Meatheads version of the rub?

 

[miller51]

Looks tasty!! Did you use Meatheads version of the rub?

I used a version inspired by his, I didn't have whole coriander other than what's in my brine mix and I'm not a fan of whole black peppercorns (other than whwhats in my brine mix) so I just used ground coriander and fresh coarse ground black pepper and I'm not always the measuring type, more of a by eye type for most rubs...