Foo - Home Made Pastrami! Yep, I have the smoker going!

Here's the start. I'm making some Pastrami today. I'm smoking it with hickory, and it's a nice Kosher brisket piece I've been brining for several days now.

Looks like ya got a little shanty town going on there in "your" back yard. I take that back . . .it looks like a little Occupy Lafayette. That side of beef sure looks good though!

Looks like ya got a little shanty town going on there in "your" back yard. I take that back . . .it looks like a little Occupy Lafayette. That side of beef sure looks good though!

I have a tarp awning up because it's supposed to rain this afternoon. I rent an apartment in town because it's a 3 hour 1 way commute to Purdue for classes if I stay at the lake.

Progress

Those look great. We'll be putting a couple of T-bones on the BBQ in about an hour. Starting to salivate already looking at your pics.

Excellent! That's the same smoker I use for salmon.

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I have a brisket in the freezer too. Hmm...

I am about to grill a filet too...

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It's not even a rig-the-blue-tarp-overhead grilling day, amazing.


(note coals under this fish vs wood in the sidebox for the smoking in the other picture)

Send some of that meat this way.

Almost done! 140 degrees at the core and looking great! I'll post the prewrap for cooling pics shortly and the slice pics tomorrow after it's rested and chilled.

And it's done, except for the rest to redistribute the juices for the next hour and then overnight chill.

I had never even thought of making my own pastrami. I am suddenly very hungry. :D

What's pastrami? Don't think I have ever had it.

If you're lucky, Tom will share his recipe for pastrami with you and if you are extremely lucky some of his pastrami but you ain't that lucky; he just posts pictures to torture us. :lol:

i need the recipe, cuz now i gotta make some...

What's pastrami? Don't think I have ever had it.

Smoked Corned Beef, essentially. It's got a Pepper coating, or Crushed Juniper Berry if you want a more Italian authenticity.

My rub is my own...but if you want to learn how to make pastrami, there's a lot of info out there. Here's a good starter site: http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/05/beef-pastrami.html

As you learn more, you'll essentially make your own mods to the recipe as you research how to do it.

You can also corn Turkey and make Turkey Pastrami using boneless dark meat.

Brining the meat yourself is a ticklish process, and you hhave to be very careful, so I'd recommend you start out just buying a Corned Beef, flat cut or point, and smoking that with the appropriate spice rub. That flattens the learning curve nicely. If you do the brining youorself, use Pickling Salt, Peppercorns, garlic and onion, and other aromatics in the brine. Use NONIODIZED salt. Iodine will make the meat bitter. Use a nonreactive container that's airtight, and sterile. Practice good kitchen sanitation while making it, because the cure process can allow the meat to spoil on you and you're out a big hunk of Brisket. Immerse the meat totally in the Brine, seal, and keep in the dark in the fridge, turning it daily to cure it. This can take as long as 3 weeks.

Easy Rub Recipe
1/4 cup Morton Tender Quick (In the salt aisle of most groceries.)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper (Very coarse Butcher's Grind)
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons ground coriander (I use Allspice)

Easy Brine Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Enough brine for 2-3 lbs of beef

Ingredients:


4 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
12 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons pickling spices (Durkee makes a good pickling spice.....the same stuff you use to make either sweet pickles or Tuscan Beef Stew)
8 bay leaves

Preparation:

Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the salt and saltpeter (optional). Stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Stir in the garlic, pickling spices and bay leaves. The brine is now ready for use. For brining, always use a non-reactive, air tight container like plastic or stainless steel.

I thought pestrami was a pasta dish.
shows how much I know.

I thought pestrami was a pasta dish.
shows how much I know.

Nope, but put it on Rye bread, with sauerkraut, Provolone cheese and Thousand Island dressing, and you got a Reuben.

That looks amazing


Nope, but put it on Rye bread, with sauerkraut, Provolone cheese and Thousand Island dressing, and you got a Reuben.




Pastrami & Mustard Done

Nope, but put it on Rye bread, with sauerkraut, Provolone cheese and Thousand Island dressing, and you got a Reuben.

That's the sandwich version not the Foo version of a Reuben, right?

That's the sandwich version not the Foo version of a Reuben, right?

Yes, if it was a Foo version, it'd involve mayhem and explosions.

And, here is the interior view! I sliced it today....

And, here is the interior view! I sliced it today....

I could eat that whole thing.

I could eat that whole thing.

It's hard to stop, I can tell ya! It turned out perfect. Buttery tender flavor and texture.

Brining the meat yourself is a ticklish process, and you hhave to be very careful, so I'd recommend you start out just buying a Corned Beef, flat cut or point, and smoking that with the appropriate spice rub.

I tried that, the result was so salty it wasn't edible. It did look nice though.

I tried that, the result was so salty it wasn't edible. It did look nice though.

Try a 1 hour soak in fresh water, then, if you use Corned Beef.

And, here is the interior view! I sliced it today....Beautiful...


My rub is my own...but if you want to learn how to make pastrami, there's a lot of info out there. Here's a good starter site: http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/05/beef-pastrami.html
Easy Rub Recipe
Easy Brine Recipe
Thanks!

Smoked Corned Beef, essentially. It's got a Pepper coating, or Crushed Juniper Berry if you want a more Italian authenticity.

My rub is my own...but if you want to learn how to make pastrami, there's a lot of info out there. Here's a good starter site: http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/05/beef-pastrami.html

As you learn more, you'll essentially make your own mods to the recipe as you research how to do it.

You can also corn Turkey and make Turkey Pastrami using boneless dark meat.

Brining the meat yourself is a ticklish process, and you hhave to be very careful, so I'd recommend you start out just buying a Corned Beef, flat cut or point, and smoking that with the appropriate spice rub. That flattens the learning curve nicely. If you do the brining youorself, use Pickling Salt, Peppercorns, garlic and onion, and other aromatics in the brine. Use NONIODIZED salt. Iodine will make the meat bitter. Use a nonreactive container that's airtight, and sterile. Practice good kitchen sanitation while making it, because the cure process can allow the meat to spoil on you and you're out a big hunk of Brisket. Immerse the meat totally in the Brine, seal, and keep in the dark in the fridge, turning it daily to cure it. This can take as long as 3 weeks.

Easy Rub Recipe
1/4 cup Morton Tender Quick (In the salt aisle of most groceries.)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper (Very coarse Butcher's Grind)
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons ground coriander (I use Allspice)

Easy Brine Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Enough brine for 2-3 lbs of beef

Ingredients:


4 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
12 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons pickling spices (Durkee makes a good pickling spice.....the same stuff you use to make either sweet pickles or Tuscan Beef Stew)
8 bay leaves

Preparation:

Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the salt and saltpeter (optional). Stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Stir in the garlic, pickling spices and bay leaves. The brine is now ready for use. For brining, always use a non-reactive, air tight container like plastic or stainless steel.

Thank you! I need to try this!