This is going to be a wordy and photo heavy post.
I was scratching my ear on what to bring to the South Florida gathering.
www.smokingmeatforums.com
Last year I brought a couple of tri-tip that Brian (
bmudd14474
) prepped and cooked for us. It went over pretty well.
T0 make a play on words, I decided to gamble and make tri-tip 3 ways this year.
Tri-tip cured and cooked pastrami style.
Tri-tip fully cooked brisket style.
Tri-tip smoked to 140° sliced and served
Photos may be a blend of styles as the trimming is the same
Started trimming the copious fat
Thinned down to a bit fat here and there. The silver skin on a tri-tip is very thin, but I want to puncture it. I usually use a Jaccard, but don't have one in FL. I simple scored it with the knife and to also mark the lines to cross cut. Score lines disappeared after the cooking so why bother?
Don't remember if this was the brisket style or pastrami style after rubbing.
Pastrami style got 3/4% salt and 1/4% sodium nitrite (~1% total salt) and into the vacuum bag but just enough to draw out the air and cure for 14 days.
Brisket style got 1/2% salt only. Also in the vac bag to draw out the air and sit for 2 days.
After 14 days, the cured pastrami bag was opened and rubbed with 2 tablespoons of pickling spice and a gram of sodium erythorbate.
This is the brisket style going on the gas grill with a smoke tube. I don't make dust , but chop the pellets so the half tube goes around 4 hours.
Sorry for the head twist but sometimes my phone photos don't edit well.
Pastrami on the grill after a flip.
3 burner grill. I pull the center grate to get the tube lower. Use the left burner only and meat on the right hand grate. I use 2 grate level probes on my ThermoWorks Signals and 2 probes in the tri-tip. I can control the temperature very well with the single burner.
I block the hood vents with foil to regulate the heat and direct the smoke across the meat.
After the tube burns out I moved both cuts to the oven to finish until probe tender.
Pastrami was close to 210° whereas the brisket was 200°. This again points ou the temp is not as important as the probe til it be done.
Enough of the politician promises. Here's the cut shots
I was OK with the pastrami style. I will pick out the allspice berries from the pickling spice next time. That was all I could smell and taste.
I don't remember if Jerry (
pineywoods
) got any but I know his better half Karen realy liked it.
I had to scramble to save some for Brian (
bmudd14474
) and Marie.
This is the brisket style. After the 2 day brine, I coated with fresh ground pepper medley before smoking. This was my favorite and my wife's.
Both pastrami style and brisket style pans got licked clean on the Friday night spread.
The traditional was served on the Saturday night frenzy, but after the first feed. This cut shot is a couple of days after the event.
It was cooked on Keith's (
JckDanls 07
) awesome reverse flow. It got a simple dalmatian rub of salt and pepper
The late night nibblers found it and the pack of hawaiian kings rolls someone put on the table.
I hope you enjoyed my adventure
I was scratching my ear on what to bring to the South Florida gathering.
14th Annual South Florida Gathering 2025 (12/12-12/14 2025)
You guys are making me jealous. We are heading south from Ohio on January 6th. Staying very near Lake Okeechobee. Have Fun! RG
www.smokingmeatforums.com
bmudd14474
) prepped and cooked for us. It went over pretty well.T0 make a play on words, I decided to gamble and make tri-tip 3 ways this year.
Tri-tip cured and cooked pastrami style.
Tri-tip fully cooked brisket style.
Tri-tip smoked to 140° sliced and served
Photos may be a blend of styles as the trimming is the same
Started trimming the copious fat
Thinned down to a bit fat here and there. The silver skin on a tri-tip is very thin, but I want to puncture it. I usually use a Jaccard, but don't have one in FL. I simple scored it with the knife and to also mark the lines to cross cut. Score lines disappeared after the cooking so why bother?
Don't remember if this was the brisket style or pastrami style after rubbing.
Pastrami style got 3/4% salt and 1/4% sodium nitrite (~1% total salt) and into the vacuum bag but just enough to draw out the air and cure for 14 days.
Brisket style got 1/2% salt only. Also in the vac bag to draw out the air and sit for 2 days.
After 14 days, the cured pastrami bag was opened and rubbed with 2 tablespoons of pickling spice and a gram of sodium erythorbate.
This is the brisket style going on the gas grill with a smoke tube. I don't make dust , but chop the pellets so the half tube goes around 4 hours.
Sorry for the head twist but sometimes my phone photos don't edit well.
Pastrami on the grill after a flip.
3 burner grill. I pull the center grate to get the tube lower. Use the left burner only and meat on the right hand grate. I use 2 grate level probes on my ThermoWorks Signals and 2 probes in the tri-tip. I can control the temperature very well with the single burner.
I block the hood vents with foil to regulate the heat and direct the smoke across the meat.
After the tube burns out I moved both cuts to the oven to finish until probe tender.
Pastrami was close to 210° whereas the brisket was 200°. This again points ou the temp is not as important as the probe til it be done.
Enough of the politician promises. Here's the cut shots
I was OK with the pastrami style. I will pick out the allspice berries from the pickling spice next time. That was all I could smell and taste.
I don't remember if Jerry (
pineywoods
) got any but I know his better half Karen realy liked it.I had to scramble to save some for Brian (
bmudd14474
) and Marie.
This is the brisket style. After the 2 day brine, I coated with fresh ground pepper medley before smoking. This was my favorite and my wife's.
Both pastrami style and brisket style pans got licked clean on the Friday night spread.
The traditional was served on the Saturday night frenzy, but after the first feed. This cut shot is a couple of days after the event.
It was cooked on Keith's (
JckDanls 07
) awesome reverse flow. It got a simple dalmatian rub of salt and pepperThe late night nibblers found it and the pack of hawaiian kings rolls someone put on the table.
I hope you enjoyed my adventure
