Pastrami Today

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old poi dog

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Aug 26, 2007
1,232
11
Maui, Hi.
I finally had some time to do a Pastrami today. I picked up a 3.5 lb package of corned beef yesterday and let it sit in a waterbath in the refrigerator overnight.

After two water changes last night here it is all rubbed and ready for the smoker this morning.


Into the smoker at 9:00 am this morning.


When the internal temp reached 165 I pulled it to foil. It must have been 2:00 pm by this time.


In the foil I left it in the smoker to reach internal temp of 208. It was already 6:00 by this time. I pulled it out of the smoker, wrapped it up in a towel and let it rest in a cooler for two hours. Here's the final product:


Its in the refrigerator now. Reuben sandwiches tomorrow!
 
Looking good, Poi Dog! I haven't tried making pastrami yet, but it looks like that goes on the list. Thanks for sharing.
 
You let it get to 208 isn't that high? i thought they only had to get to 170? I just did one yesterday and i took it off at 170 and did the cooler for 2 hours as well.
 
Looks good Old poi dog. Let us know how it tasted.
Just remember a long soak in a waterbath isn't always necessary, you want to go by sodium content, give it a few hours soak (they usually need it) and then administer the fry pan test (cut off a sliver, fry it up and taste it) and go from there, you don't want to lose too much of the cured flavor.

Pandemonium, you can bring them to 205 but mostly they are pulled around 165-180. I normally do mine in that range, no towel or anything just let cool, place in the fridge after cooling until morning and then reheat for a few hours with steam.
 
Very good looking pastrami there old poi dog. It does have to soak as long as you did like Fire said just do the fry test after an hour or an hour and a half to test the saltyness. Then throw it on the smoker it your rub and I personally only take it to about 165-170 or so and it always comes out very nice for sammies.
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Real nice looking pastrami, Old Poi. Thanks for sharing the P-Vue! How'd it taste? I liked the thick looking rub you put on it and am dying for a Reuben Sammie!

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I'm a big fan of pastrami taken to 200-205. To me it's just a little too chewy at 170-180. I like my pastrami to come out like something from Katz's deli. Doesn't have to be sliced too thin to be edible
 
I'm with Scubadoo I like it cut thick and its better if ya take it to 200ish
 
Looks like all the internal fat and connective tissue has melted away. Did you have to chill this before you sliced it? I am going to have to try taking mine to 200-205 to see how it tastes without the chewy texture. I like the way it looks.
 
Nice pastrami!

Uh-oh! Now I have a decision to make by Tuesday morning. I have a flat thawing in my Q-refer for the past 2 days...............Hmmm, do I cure it, or just smoke it?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOL!!!!!!!


Eric
 
Katz's is the main reason I steam mine for a few hours, that's how they do theirs, steam for several hours and it is always tender and mouth wateringly good.
 
As you know that's how I've been finishing mine. I pull it from the smoker around 170 and finsih over steam in the oven to 205 +/-. For my taste this can't be beat.
 
Aloha All,

The Pastrami turned out great!!! I like to take it up to 205 or so that the connective tissues as someone described it above melts away. Before putting it in the refrigerator, I was able to pull a sample(s) and dipped them in the juice that came out of the foil........Oh....Yum!

It spent overnight in the refrigerator. The next day I sliced it up at a 1/4 inch widths and made myself a Reuben Sandwich. It was great!!!! A friend came over and I gave him half of the pastrami, which left me enough for one or two more sancwiches. I will need to make a larger one next weekend....

Hello Mr. Dude.....Your post / q-view from a few months back got me started. Thanks friend!
 
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