Pastrami in progress...

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

The first one I did was quite good.... AFTER a desalting treatment with Instant Potato. Here it is with Corned Beef Sliced out for vac-packing.



Spices for Dry Cure Rub
.38 Lb Garlic Flake
1 Cup brown sugar,
1 Tbsp per lb Tenderquick
2 tbsp Real Salt Brand Kosher Salt.
3 Tbsp "Rojellio Paprika" home smoked & dehydrated Red Bell Pepper.
3 tbsp Pepper Corns
1 tbsp crushed Juniper Berries
1 tbsp Caraway seed
1 1/2 tbsp Dill seed
1 tbsp Celery Seed
1 tbsp crushed Corriander
approx 2 tbsp Bay Leaf

I haven't decided yet on Finish Rub... but likely there garlic, peppercorn, and coriander involved



I worked the brisket over with Jacquard Tenderizer thingie. Apply Tenderquick, rub it in real good. Worked it over again with Jacquard thingie. Apply Spices. The pic is taken before I applied brown sugar.



Squeezed into Vac bag, and half vacuumed... to allow slack for later massaging. Fully vacuumed doesn't give you room to work it... and would likely not have sealed with all the juice sucked up to the sealer bar


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Traeger 075 "Big Tex"
Small Weber Kettle
Big Chief 'Lectric Cold Smoker

[SoEzzy]

I started two today, how long are you curing them for?

Here's the brine I'm using.

2 tbs whole peppercorns
1 1/2 tbs dry thyme
6 crumbled bay leaves
2 tsp whole cloves
1/4 cup of minced garlic
1Qt of water
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of kosher salt
1/4 tsp sodium nitrate / nitrite mix, the brine is per flat.

I got a 5.03lb and a 6.06lb pair of trimmed flats.

I'm going with 14 day cure, then they'll get rinsed with sliced potatoes for 6 - 8 hours.

Then they will get rubbed with.

4 tbs kosher salt
4 tbs paprika
3 tbs coriander seeds
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs black peppercorns
2 tbs yellow mustard seeds
1 tbs white peppercorns
8 cloves garlic, minced, each flat.

Then smoke for 4 - 5 hours, then put into a pan on a cooling rack, with 2 cups of water and foil over the pans to steam for 2 hours.

Allow to cool, chill to firm up the meat, then slice with the slicer and chow down!
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Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

I will cure for 5 days, maybe its more like 5 1/2 since I will cook it Saturday. The Virtual Bullet site said 3 days for a flat. I cut out most of the big fat vein on the big side.. so its not much thicker than the point.

I got burned on saltiness last time.. So as part of my rinsing & soaking routine I am including Mashed Potato mix. Maybe even the night before, rinse, apply a good cup and water, then reseal in vac bag.
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Traeger 075 "Big Tex"
Small Weber Kettle
Big Chief 'Lectric Cold Smoker

[Toga]

be sure to post up pics
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"if you cant cook it in bacon grease it ain't worth eating"

UDS
ECB x2
Gasser

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

Pics will be forthcoming. ETA of pics... and EGT [ Estimated Gullet Time ] is Saturday.

I cracked open the vac pac, put in a good cups worth of artesian water.. to make it more liquid, brine like. and have more water for water soluble flavors and curing agents.. then resealed.

The daily "massage" involves a Rolling pin. Yes I am being careful not to puncture the bag.. The Stems and Seeds in the rub could do that. Not that I know bugger all about that issue.

Considering all the Pastramis Various Ringers have, at this moment... in various states of Pastramihood... we could have a throwdown like thread, with mile of Pastrami P00RN all in the same thread..
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Traeger 075 "Big Tex"
Small Weber Kettle
Big Chief 'Lectric Cold Smoker

[SoEzzy]

I forgot to take pictures when I prepared them, I'll be turning mine tomorrow, I'll grab pictures then, and make sure I do more when I turn them again, and then when they are rubbed, smoked, cooled and steamed.

I pinky swear it!
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Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[Cranky Buzzard]

Rojellio, that sounds and looks GREAT! In another thread I'll start soon, I'll be talking about corned beef and you answered one of my questions, how to lose the salt!

KILLER idea on the potato flakes!

Now, about flakes... Where do you find garlic flakes? Do you make it? All I can find is powder...

Charlie
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Cranky Buzzard BBQ FB Group

[Limp Brisket]

Could y'all elaborate a little more on the purpose and use of the potatoes?
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Lang 84 Deluxe Long Neck w/Char Grill
UDS
Custom pig rotisserie
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KCBS Judge
Ace of Spades BBQ Team

[k.a.m.]

Rojellio Es Caliente, that is some beautiful looking Pastrami. Nicely done my man.
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Always remember slow and steady wins the race.

Hybrid Cooker

[killswitch505]

You have to let me in on the potato flake trick. Ive got two loins Curing now and im a little scared that they might come out salty like my last salmon
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Club Disco

[Cranky Buzzard]

[SoEzzy]

[Limp Brisket]

Thanks guys, a pastrami is in my near future, there are more of you doing them than I thought.
_________________
Lang 84 Deluxe Long Neck w/Char Grill
UDS
Custom pig rotisserie
Winston CVAP HA4522
KCBS Judge
Ace of Spades BBQ Team

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

Limp Brisket After the Pickle Cure process... the Brisket will be limper than usual.

The Potato Flakes work brilliant, and I will represent that as fact. When I first tried it... it was on my first attempt Pastrami a couple weeks ago. I admittedly had more salt than I should have. I rinsed it, I soaked it about 1 1/2 hours changing water twice, then rinsed again. After it was cooked.. it tasted saltier than raw salt. Maybe I'm exaggerating just a little.. but not by much.

The next day, after remembering SoEzzy mentioning the potato slice trick a few months back... I tested the potato flakes on some slices, and it worked. So I moved up to the hunks of meat. {The hunks of meat you see sliced out in the first of the thread} About one cup Potato Flake and about 1/2 cup water into the zip bag with the meat. I massaged it around, coating the meat. 2 hrs later I rinsed it really well, and sliced. It was 1000% improvement, and much more edible.

The night before cooking, I will rinse, put back in a vac bag, then put a good 2 cups maybe more Potato Flake, and cup or so of water. Before cooking I will rinse, the soak just in case.

Definitly if you go through the normal rinse and soak.. then get burned later... you can bring in the nuclear option to salvage an other wise lovely looking hunk of meat. I am going Nuclear to start with.
_________________
Traeger 075 "Big Tex"
Small Weber Kettle
Big Chief 'Lectric Cold Smoker

[double j smoke `n grill]

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

[SoEzzy]

Here's the first turn, I didn't have my cable at home so I had to bring them to work to download the pictures.







Next turn Friday night!
_________________
Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

Potato Bath... Unbag and rinse brisket, pat instant potato flakes on {about 1 cup} soak about 1/2 hr agitate a time or two. Empty water. Apply another 1 cup Instant Potato Flake, soak for another 1/2 hr. Rinse thoroughly.

Finish Rub.

3 tbsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp Cracked Coriander
2 tbsp Garlic Flake
1 tbsp Caraway seed
3 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar
1 Tbsp Paprika

I cooked about 4 hrs dry, I had a cookie sheet {water pan} on the drip plate before cooking began { Crumpled Tin foil shim stock cubes helped keep pan level } Add water, and cooked another 3 hrs. I could have pulled an hour earlier, but I wanted the fat good and rendered. Which it was.

I lightly toasted some rye bread in my 20 slice "low & slow Toaster" {Food Dehydrator} Plated with dinner salad. Earlier in the day there were some Baconless ABT's and Some ABT's. Filling up the dance floor, I had some Tandoori Chicken to vac pac for later.

The Instant Potato Flake Nuclear Option REALLY WORKS I might even use the trick on my next Bacon. {Bacon of the Pork Variety that is.}
_________________
Traeger 075 "Big Tex"
Small Weber Kettle
Big Chief 'Lectric Cold Smoker

[BigPhil32]

wow Rojellio, you have turned in another masterpiece!!!! that is going on my to do list...thanks for sharing!!!
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Check out my blog on BBQ joints: http://lordofthesmokerings.wordpress.com/
Smoking since November of 2009...

[Oregon smoker]