I've been wanting to make some more pastrami for awhile but beef prices have been crazy and I haven't even seen any on sale all year. Well today this little store out in the country put top sirloin on sale so I said "here's my chance" so I rode out there after work and picked up two 11 pounders! I put one in the freezer for something later.
I cooked up some brine and put it in the fridge to cool while I trim up the sirloin. It had a real thick fat cap which was OK because now I have some much needed fat for sausage. As I was trimming I started following this fat line with my knife and found there was a smaller piece of meat attached, then I found another. There was just too much fat in between so I just cut them off then I looked at them and said "that sure looks like a tri-tip!" Tri-tip is very hard to find around here and I have never had it, I saw it in a store once and they wanted $8.00/lb and I said "no way!" Look at the piece in the lower right of this picture and correct me if I'm wrong but it sure looks like a tri-tip. It's not going to be pastrami, it's getting smoked this weekend!
I injected it with my brine/cure all over at about 1" intervals.
Then into a bag filled with brine/cure and in the fridge.
I have to work on Presidents Day so I am going to smoke it the Sunday before, then put it in the fridge so I can slice it and eat it on Presidents Day. I will get 8 1/2 days in the brine/cure, I hope that is long enough. The way work has been I am afraid to put anything up for a two week cure because a trip might come up and I'll have to go TDY and end up with a 4 or 5 week cure and that wouldn't be good.
Anyway, I'll see ya'll in a little over a week!
I cooked up some brine and put it in the fridge to cool while I trim up the sirloin. It had a real thick fat cap which was OK because now I have some much needed fat for sausage. As I was trimming I started following this fat line with my knife and found there was a smaller piece of meat attached, then I found another. There was just too much fat in between so I just cut them off then I looked at them and said "that sure looks like a tri-tip!" Tri-tip is very hard to find around here and I have never had it, I saw it in a store once and they wanted $8.00/lb and I said "no way!" Look at the piece in the lower right of this picture and correct me if I'm wrong but it sure looks like a tri-tip. It's not going to be pastrami, it's getting smoked this weekend!
I injected it with my brine/cure all over at about 1" intervals.
Then into a bag filled with brine/cure and in the fridge.
I have to work on Presidents Day so I am going to smoke it the Sunday before, then put it in the fridge so I can slice it and eat it on Presidents Day. I will get 8 1/2 days in the brine/cure, I hope that is long enough. The way work has been I am afraid to put anything up for a two week cure because a trip might come up and I'll have to go TDY and end up with a 4 or 5 week cure and that wouldn't be good.
Anyway, I'll see ya'll in a little over a week!
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