It's Pastrami Time

[BBQ Engineer]

Hi everyone.

Last year I asked Mrs. Engineer to pick me up a brisket for a massive 4th of July blowout we have, and she brought me home a cryovac'd flat. I was thinking packer when I made the request, and specified a cryovac'd one...Mrs. engineer wouldn't know a flat from a point if it bit her on the @ss, but I have to give her credit in that she did bring me home a cryovac'd piece of meat. Since I wanted burnt ends at the time, I profusely thanked Mrs. Engineer for her effort, promptly stuffed it in the freezer, and went out and bought another one. I was digging around in the freezer recently, came across this one, and noticed it was nice and flat and uniform...perfect for some pastrami slices!

So here's what I'm doing:

Pic of the brisket in question....

I trimmed the brisket and prepared my pastrami spices...

Rubbed that baby down with my spice mixture. I didn't inject this with a brine, because the brisket was very uniform, and not very thick. The cure applied to the exterior will do a wonderful job on this one.

This is a message to my brother...We both had an absolute great time comparing notes on some pastrami we both made about a year ago...I guarantee he is going to see this one in pics too (I have been trying to get him to join our discussions...come on bro, log in and show me what you got!)

This bad boy is hibernating in the fridge, and I'm gonna throw some Thin Blue Smoke at it on Saturday.

 

[Beer-B-Q]

Looks Great with all the spice on it...:?:

How long do you plan on letting it cure?

Being a plain brisket shouldn't you have cured it into corned beef first?

 

[BBQ Engineer]

Looks Great with all the spice on it...:?:

How long do you plan on letting it cure?

Being a plain brisket shouldn't you have cured it into corned beef first?

It is curing right now with corned beef / pastrami spices on it. I am using a mix of Tender Quick, Brown Sugar, Coriander, Juniper Berries, Penzy's Corned Beef spices, black pepper and garlic. This is from a recipe that I have made before, and it was the best pastrami I have every had. I will bring it out of the cure on Saturday, rinse / soak and then apply the dry rub for smoking. I can hardly wait.

 

[Beer-B-Q]

Don't forget to post the recipe, I just sent the wife to the store for some pastrami and swiss cheese. Guess what I'm having for supper. #:T

 

[ron]

Nice smoke starting there. *b*

 

[Meat Hunter]

Very nice Dana. I'm sure, as with all your smokes, it will be awesome. I didn't know you had a bro? Why isn't he a member here?

 

[BBQ Engineer]

Very nice Dana. I'm sure, as with all your smokes, it will be awesome. I didn't know you had a bro? Why isn't he a member here?

Yup, Got two Brothers and a sister. I made a small cabinet smoker and gave to my oldest brother already...I kinda credit him for getting me into smoking at first. Now I have to build another smoker for my other brother. It's funny when I reflect on my family...How is it that I got all the brains and the looks too?!? Hey Bro, Ya got anything to say 'bout that? Looks like you may have to log in to respond...HA! (been trying to get him on board...He's a great guy, but man is he UGLY! Just Kidding...LOL).

Well, here is my pastrami progress....I turned it twice a day. The juices from the meat made it's own brine to sit in. I took it out this AM and rinsed it off and soaked it in water for about an hour and a half, changing the water every half hour. Here it is after the water bath...

Next I made the dry rub for it and applied...

Into the smoker with some apple wood smoke with a bit of a cherry wood chaser...

Letting it ride. Mrs. Engineer is at the store getting me some Swiss Cheese, Rye Bread and she called and said she found some Napa Valley Food contest award winning Chipotle Mustard. I have some sauerkraut in the fridge, so I'm gonna be all set.

 

[Beer-B-Q]

That is going to be so tasty, I can almost taste it from here...

Send your bro an invite through the invite link, tell him to join so we can test the New Invite Feature out. #:T I need to find out if it works for anyone other than me.

 

[BBQ Engineer]

Man, I can't wait for Dinner. The pastrami is done and out of the smoker. I went to ~170 internal temp and brought it inside. A lot of the best deli's steam their pastrami which adds back a lot of moisture and makes it fork tender. The recipe that I have been following also has it steamed, so half of it is in some steam for a couple hours.

Here it is out of the smoker.

Here is a pic of it cut open. It is a beautiful color, and the taste is out of this world delicious. I love the peppery bark on this, and it is extra special delicious, as I added some Chipotle to the dry rub. It just explodes with flavor.

Here is a small chunk that I cut off to sample. Man this is good.

I will follow up with a plated money shot of my Pastrami sammich later tonight.

 

[Beer-B-Q]

I'm Jealous, I got mine at the Sun Fresh Deli.... ^c^

 

[BBQ Engineer]

Here's my Dinner...a Pastrami Reuben Sammich...

Sliced Pastrami.

I used a Rye Bread, lightly toasted, and then I smeared that with Mrs. Engineer's Chipotle Mustard. Then the pastrami slices topped with a nice helping of SauerKraut. Melted some Swiss Cheese on it, and plated for a pic. It was really good...In fact, I had Two!!

 

[ron]

Man oh man does that look good. *p1*

 

[Beer-B-Q]

Boy does that look good...

What is your spice recipe?

 

[Meat Hunter]

Very nice Dana, as I knew it would be. Yeah, Im with Paul, you gotta share your recipe with us, and what was your setup for the steam process? *p1*

 

[Rivet]

Good lord that was delicious! :?: I have been jonesing for some pastrami or bbq for some time now, and this makes it even worse! Excellent pastrami dana and thank you and Mrs Engineer for making it happen >%

 

[TasunkaWitko]

hey, that does look great! i do have to try that sometme - one of these days!

anyone got a good recipe for pastrami that tones down the peppers (red and black)? my wife would probably love this as she likes beef, but she doesn't do spicey very well.

 

[Red Stick BBQ]

Hey Train Driver...total pastrami rookie here. How does it get that beautiful color throughout? That can't be all smoke!

Down here pastrami is not a big thing but this cook here could turn a coonass' head! *lg*

 

[BBQ Engineer]

Hey Train Driver...total pastrami rookie here. How does it get that beautiful color throughout? That can't be all smoke!

Down here pastrami is not a big thing but this cook here could turn a coonass' head! *lg*

Pastrami is a cured meat, and the beautiful red coloration comes from being cured. In fact, some people will cheat to increase the smoke ring on a piece of meat by adding some tender quick or instacure to a piece of meat for 5-10 minutes and then wash it off, add rub and then BBQ as usual. My personal belief is that is cheating...period. I let my 'Que stand on it's own, without tricks or mirrors.

I cut the pastrami in half, and steamed the first half of it on the stove in a large pasta pot that I have. It has an insert at the top for steaming. The second half I used a vegetable steamer that I have (I think it is an oster brand), and as long as you keep the resevoir filled with water, it works really well too. I will try and get some pics of the different steaming methods that I used and upload them. I will also post the recipe that I used.