Pastrami from the begining, update It's finally done!!

[SmokinAl]

OK, got it rubbed with mustard & CBP.

Load up the WSM, for a all nighter.

Put the 2 flats on the bottom rack.

Put the point on top.

Now check this out it has only been 45 minutes, I put them all on cold with cold water in the pan and the smoker just starting up with 10 lit coals. The smoker hasn't even reached it's temp yet it is only 198 and 1 of the flats is at 117 already. Yes I checked all 3 therms in boiling water today, they all read 212 or 213. I thought I would be able to sleep all night.

 

[pit 4 brains]

I must have missed the boat somewhere.. You are planning to smoke them tonight or all night ? It should only take a few hours to get cured meat smoked and up to 160 for firm deli meat. I hope you are not trying to smoke these like a raw brisket..

 

[micmike]

AL!  

I concur with the Pit Master.

I understand a  rule of thumb is about 1.5 hours per pound.

My cured 3.5 lbs each I figure about 5-6 hours max.

You can always cook it longer, but you can't uncook it.

 

[i is a moose]

That's part of the deception of store packaging:

The brined meats are stored and sold in cryovac packaging with the brine, which forces an equalization of liquids - juices native to the meats are pulled out of it, while the brine is forced in simultaneously, homagenizing the strata of brine exposure you see, combined with, often, weeks of the corned brisket setting in the brine in packaging either at the processing plant, a distributor's fridge, or a retailer's meat locker.

Plus some of the grey being seen is partially oxidized meat, because it wasn't in an environment entirely absent of air (which isn't a bad thing!) salts, nitrates, and acids react differently in the presence of oxygen than in the absence of it, and so your brine was more "active" as elements in the brine were interacting with the air in your fridge.

I saw the same kind of lines last time I did pickled pork, and it turned out fine!
 The biggest indicator of something gone wrong would be the smell, at this point.
 

If you are talking about corned beef from the store the ones i get are red all the way thru but not blood red like beef.

I dont use liquid cures on meats so it maintains the same color while it cures.  When i buy corned beef it is red .

 But then when i soak it to remove the salt it washes all the blood out and turns it grey. 

 All i'm saying is that the grey color on the outer portion of the meat you have is caused by the blood leaching out which is then replaced by the curing liquid. If this is so then it stands to reason that since the center portion of the flat is still blood red then the cureing liquid did not reach this point in the flat in sufficiant quantities to leach out the blood.

 

[SmokinAl]

I must have missed the boat somewhere.. You are planning to smoke them tonight or all night ? It should only take a few hours to get cured meat smoked and up to 160 for firm deli meat. I hope you are not trying to smoke these like a raw brisket..

I've smoked several corned beefs so far and if you only smoke them to 160 they are like eating shoe leather. You have to smoke them exactly like a brisket. Finish IT 195-205. I've never had one done in less than 10 hours. Some took as long as 17 hours. As we speak they have been in the smoker 11 1/2 hours and the IT is 165-174 on all 3 of them, and I got a good night's sleep!

 

[i is a moose]

I've smoked several corned beefs so far and if you only smoke them to 160 they are like eating shoe leather. You have to smoke them exactly like a brisket. Finish IT 195-205. I've never had one done in less than 10 hours. Some took as long as 17 hours. As we speak they have been in the smoker 11 1/2 hours and the IT is 165-174 on all 3 of them, and I got a good night's sleep!

that's right, it's roughly 0600 in Florida right now! I forget about time differences sometimes.

Tight now, on Titan, it's still just night. Night lasts roughly three years.
 

 

[alelover]

I take mine to 180 - 185. Works great for slicing.

 

[porked]

Good luck Al, anxiously waiting to see the money shots.

 

[uncle_lar]

I finish mine at about 185* also, perfect for slicing

cant wait for the result 06:30 here in illinois and just watched a beautiful full moon set!

 

[alelover]

Hey Al. I open the home page and to my surprise your post is the most active in the forum. Go figure.

 

[SmokinAl]

Hey Al. I open the home page and to my surprise your post is the most active in the forum. Go figure.

It's been a long haul! Finally they are in foil, 168-171 degrees. Going to let them finish in the oven in a beer bath. Now we wait some more. I hope I'm eating pastrami sammies for lunch!

Only a couple of more hours I hope.

 

[porked]

Lookin' good Al. I have a question, do you use longer wires on your probes? If so, where did you get them?

 

[Bearcarver]

It's been a long haul! Finally they are in foil, 168-171 degrees. Going to let them finish in the oven in a beer bath. Now we wait some more. I hope I'm eating pastrami sammies for lunch!

Only a couple of more hours I hope.

Lookin' good Al!

I'm waiting for the interior money shot pics!!!!

Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

Lookin' good Al. I have a question, do you use longer wires on your probes? If so, where did you get them?

They came with the therms. The one's on the stove are 4' long. The one's that come standard with the BBQ Guru are 6' long.

 

[SmokinAl]

Lookin' good Al!

I'm waiting for the interior money shot pics!!!!

Bear

Me too, Bear. I sure hope it's pink inside!
 

 

[porked]

They came with the therms. The one's on the stove are 4' long. The one's that come standard with the BBQ Guru are 6' long.

Okay thanks, was looking for some longer ones and thought perhaps you had them.

 

[Bearcarver]

Okay thanks, was looking for some longer ones and thought perhaps you had them.

Maverick sells them. I got a couple longer ones for backups.

Out of Edison, NJ.

If you don't have a Maverick, I would imagine they all sell extra ones & longer ones.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Me too, Bear. I sure hope it's pink inside!

No Problem!

Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

Last one in the cooler, should be ready to slice by noon.

 

[Bearcarver]

Gorgeous Bark !!!

Bear