Pastrami question

I cook mine to about 170 and let it chill overnight. Then either vacusuck it and freeze it or steam it in a heavy pot for a couple of hours. Then slice and serve.

I did mine today for the first time. Smoked until it hit 185 and it was great. Sliced and ate right essay after letting it rest for about 1 hour.

I have done many pastramis. I cook them at 250-260 until an IT of 170 and then I foil them with tight seams with a little beef broth (3-4oz) and let the IT run up to about 195 or so. So basically, you are steaming the pastrami for the last hour or so. Then let it rest in the foil wrapped in towels in an ice chest (no ice) for 1-4 hours until you are ready to slice that bad boy. Make sure you slice across the grain unless you want jerky...

I do pretty much what Marty does, except I use butcher paper and not foil, for the basic reason that I have 1500 feet of butcher paper and just a few yards of foil. I don't think there is a perfect range, I know there is no consensus. I treat it almost like a brisket, which it is.

As for the pepper, black pepper does get milder when it cooks, especially so on long cooks.

I have been cooking mine just like I would a brisket (seems to make sense). 225*-250* smoker temp, cook it until it feels done with a probe (probably 195*-200* IT) Let it rest and slice and eat. They taste so good I have never bothered with the simmering part, seems like it would lessen the flavor.

A lot of times, when I see the lower range (170) then you cool it and then steam it to "tenderize".

If you don't plan on steaming (the traditional method) then take it to a higher temp more to what you would for a normal brisket

Ok, so I got a 2.67lb. corned beef flat. I pulled it out of the freezer in the am. I thawed it in the micro. I soaked it in an ice bath for 7 hours,(in a stainless steel bowl). Seasoned it wtih a slight variation of Thirdeye's.Started the fire with a combo. of apple and hickory wood. Let the meat stand 45 min. Got the smoker to maintain temp. of 225F. Meat on the grill, with probe at 4:00 pm. Smoker maintained temp. between 225F and 275F. At 6:00 pm I preheated the oven to 205F. The meat reached 155F at 6:15 pm on the smoker. I put about 4oz. of beer,(I drank the rest) and double wrapped in heavy alum. foil, and put in the oven to finish. Between the smoker and the oven, the meat dropped to 137F. I raised oven temp. to 225F. At 7:15 the meat temp. was 175F.Pulled it out of the oven, and let it rest, foil on, 2 hours. The meat tasted Awesome, but was a little tough to chew. I will try re-heating, by steaming, hopefully that will tenderize it.

I have done a few Pastrami and use thirdeye's method. Smoke til about 160...then in the pressure cooker for 30 min. Cool... refrigerate...slice the next day.

If you have a PC... I highly recommend it.

+ 1 on the above Check out thirdeye's blog He gives great instruction on a few ways to do it. I take mine to 165 and put it on top of a foil ring and pour in some beer Wrap tight with foil and take to 195-200 Comes out great

scp said:

I have done a few Pastrami and use thirdeye's method. Smoke til about 160...then in the pressure cooker for 30 min. Cool... refrigerate...slice the next day.

If you have a PC... I highly recommend it.

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This is almost what I do and it comes out great. I use the slicer right out of the steamer and take it to 170 before I pull it from the smoker.

scp said:

I have done a few Pastrami and use thirdeye's method. Smoke til about 160...then in the pressure cooker for 30 min. Cool... refrigerate...slice the next day.

If you have a PC... I highly recommend it.

Click to expand...

Like he said.

Never steamed mine in the past and loved it, steamed it this year and I'm hooked!

I did some over the weekend and went to about 165°F. I fridged it overnight and sliced it up. Turned out about right if you ask me.

MikeR said:

Never steamed mine in the past and loved it, steamed it this year and I'm hooked!

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Couldn't agree more. This method creates the NY deli style texture that lots of us like. Much different than traditional smoked brisket. More unctuous. I keep meaning to try this method on a straight up brisket so see how it flies.