My attempt at SmokinAls Pastrami

[Schwarzwald Metzger]

Just finished my first Dry Cured Pastrami and I wanted to shout out SmokinAl as I used his Brisket Pastrami recipe with a few tweaks and OMG it is a definite regular in the rotation now not just for St. Paddy's Day. The wife said, "Better than Brisket" and that's the only review I need. I do like the wet brine I've used in the past but this is SO much easier and takes up less room in the fridge.
I'll post the recipe but I highly recommend checking out SmokinAls Brisket Pastrami Post in his signature and go from there. He does a WAY better job with explanation and Pics. I did convert his seasonings to grams for my recipe and I used 2 frozen flats leftover from the points I used to make the Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage. Will definitely use fresh and use the Point next time since the "Moist" is my favorite.
Thanks Al!!!!!! Now I have to convince my wife to learn how to make Rye Bread like Judy, lol.
View attachment 691674
1ST FLAT 2257grams
used Universal Cure Calculator

6 grams Cure number 1
45 grams Salt(I used 50)
24 g Lanes granulated garlic
16 g Black Pepper
16 g Onion Powder
25 g Pickling Spice(finely ground) from Alescis

2nd Flat 1634 grams
5 g Cure
33 g Salt(I used 36)
16 grams garlic powder,
12 g black pepper, onion powder
18 g pickling spice(ground fine)

Placed Flats in Ziplock and coated both sides and edges inside the bag as Al instructs. No Mess!!!!!!!! And super easy to get the sides.
Placed bags in container one on top of the other and every day flipped. Every 2 days rotated top and bottom.
After 16 Days(cue Whiskeytown song here) I rinsed and rubbed. The smaller flat got a mustard binder and coated, The bigger flat just coated. Placed on wire rack above cookie sheet for 2 days.
View attachment 691676View attachment 691677View attachment 691678View attachment 691679

Above is Ready to Rinse, Rinsed, test fry, Pastrami rubbed ready for 2 day fridge nap. The test fry was not to salty so no need to desalinate.

Got flats to room temp an hour before
put on Treager 225
Post Oak pellets with 1 smoke tube of Post Oak chips 1 hour later added another and filled the 1st when it ran out and ran 2 tubes of Post Oak and Cherry( I ran out of Oak chips)
After 4 hrs of smoke at 225 IT was 160
View attachment 691680
Placed the smaller thinner flat in a pan of beef broth(Minors base made strong) and topped it with some beef tallow
The top brisket was also topped with tallow and then set on a rack with the same broth mixed with pickling spice to steam. covered both with foil and let them go until IT was 200

View attachment 691681
Wrapped both in foil and placed in my 170 degree oven with door ajar for 2 hrs. I would have done longer but we were getting hungry. Turned oven off after 2 hrs and let rest for another hour.

Sliced the thinner one that finished in the broth.
View attachment 691682
View attachment 691683
Sliced, gave it the juice bath and topped with Swiss on Rye. Wowzy Wow Wow. The optional dunk in the juice made an Amazing Irish Dip. I made homemade Thousand Island but didn't even use it. Kids coming over tomorrow so I am sure the rest of this one and the other flat will be gone soon.
Happy St. Patricks Day to all the SMFers and especially Al and Judy for this amazing recipe and their amazing thourough post.

Hushy, where in Cleveland? Back in the day I lived in Strongsville. Check out my Cleveland BBQ -- Kielbasa post and tell me that isn't Cleveland!

 

[HushyQ]

Hushy, where in Cleveland? Back in the day I lived in Strongsville. Check out my Cleveland BBQ -- Kielbasa post and tell me that isn't Cleveland!

Hey Schwarzwald. Thanks for the kind words. Willoughby. Always been an Eastsider. I will check out the post.

 

[Schwarzwald Metzger]

Hey Schwarzwald. Thanks for the kind words. Willoughby. Always been an Eastsider. I will check out the post.

I know Willoughby well. There are a lot of Clevelanders here.

 

[HushyQ]

I know Willoughby well. There are a lot of Clevelanders here.

Where's that? I did post on your Cleveland Kielbasa post. That was a great post and your recipe is definitely on the list. So many great ideas here I can't keep up.

 

[Schwarzwald Metzger]

Where's that? I did post on your Cleveland Kielbasa post. That was a great post and your recipe is definitely on the list. So many great ideas here I can't keep up.

My memory is horrible, too many explosions and bad women. I remember now that we already went through this. Sorry man.

 

[Schwarzwald Metzger]

Just finished my first Dry Cured Pastrami and I wanted to shout out SmokinAl as I used his Brisket Pastrami recipe with a few tweaks and OMG it is a definite regular in the rotation now not just for St. Paddy's Day. The wife said, "Better than Brisket" and that's the only review I need. I do like the wet brine I've used in the past but this is SO much easier and takes up less room in the fridge.
I'll post the recipe but I highly recommend checking out SmokinAls Brisket Pastrami Post in his signature and go from there. He does a WAY better job with explanation and Pics. I did convert his seasonings to grams for my recipe and I used 2 frozen flats leftover from the points I used to make the Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage. Will definitely use fresh and use the Point next time since the "Moist" is my favorite.
Thanks Al!!!!!! Now I have to convince my wife to learn how to make Rye Bread like Judy, lol.
View attachment 691674
1ST FLAT 2257grams
used Universal Cure Calculator

6 grams Cure number 1
45 grams Salt(I used 50)
24 g Lanes granulated garlic
16 g Black Pepper
16 g Onion Powder
25 g Pickling Spice(finely ground) from Alescis

2nd Flat 1634 grams
5 g Cure
33 g Salt(I used 36)
16 grams garlic powder,
12 g black pepper, onion powder
18 g pickling spice(ground fine)

Placed Flats in Ziplock and coated both sides and edges inside the bag as Al instructs. No Mess!!!!!!!! And super easy to get the sides.
Placed bags in container one on top of the other and every day flipped. Every 2 days rotated top and bottom.
After 16 Days(cue Whiskeytown song here) I rinsed and rubbed. The smaller flat got a mustard binder and coated, The bigger flat just coated. Placed on wire rack above cookie sheet for 2 days.
View attachment 691676View attachment 691677View attachment 691678View attachment 691679

Above is Ready to Rinse, Rinsed, test fry, Pastrami rubbed ready for 2 day fridge nap. The test fry was not to salty so no need to desalinate.

Got flats to room temp an hour before
put on Treager 225
Post Oak pellets with 1 smoke tube of Post Oak chips 1 hour later added another and filled the 1st when it ran out and ran 2 tubes of Post Oak and Cherry( I ran out of Oak chips)
After 4 hrs of smoke at 225 IT was 160
View attachment 691680
Placed the smaller thinner flat in a pan of beef broth(Minors base made strong) and topped it with some beef tallow
The top brisket was also topped with tallow and then set on a rack with the same broth mixed with pickling spice to steam. covered both with foil and let them go until IT was 200

View attachment 691681
Wrapped both in foil and placed in my 170 degree oven with door ajar for 2 hrs. I would have done longer but we were getting hungry. Turned oven off after 2 hrs and let rest for another hour.

Sliced the thinner one that finished in the broth.
View attachment 691682
View attachment 691683
Sliced, gave it the juice bath and topped with Swiss on Rye. Wowzy Wow Wow. The optional dunk in the juice made an Amazing Irish Dip. I made homemade Thousand Island but didn't even use it. Kids coming over tomorrow so I am sure the rest of this one and the other flat will be gone soon.
Happy St. Patricks Day to all the SMFers and especially Al and Judy for this amazing recipe and their amazing thourough post.

I tried pastrami with beef navel a while back. It came out outstanding. I was trying to replicate Katz Deli.

www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/beef-navel-pastrami