Chris' Turkey Pastrami recipe - curing and cooking questions


 

Yianni

TVWBB Fan
Here is the link to the recipe and I will copy it below.

I am doing a “test run” this week and just put a 3 pound turkey breast roast in the brine last night. It was injected with %15 percent solution already (hard to find not)

Is anyone around that made this recipe to report back or can the charcuterie experts jump in?

How should I adjust my brine time and / or cook time? It feels like 7 days is an awful lot especially when its poultry and no curing salts safety wise and saltiness wise.

I plan to smoke for a couple hours with pecan and do the 90 min simmer. (if you guys or gals say do it like that)

Thanks in advance!

http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/...0069052/m/1940046203

Turkey Pastrami

6 cups water
3/4 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 T dried thyme
2 T crushed peppercorns
4 crumbled bay leaves
1 tsp whole cloves
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 to 5 pound skinless, boneless turkey breast

1/2 cup coarse ground pepper
1 tsp chili powder - optional
Worcestershire sauce - optional

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan then add salt and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then remove from heat. Add next 6 ingredients, cover and let it steep for 1 hour or until near room temperature. Put turkey in a large airtight storage bag and pour the cooled brine over. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 week, turning the turkey at least once every day.

On the seventh day, remove the turkey from the brine and allow it to drain. While your smoker is heating up, make a paste of the ground pepper, chili powder and Wor sauce. (I like the flavor the chili and Wor brings. If it doesn’t appeal to you, omit them and use just the pepper.) Firmly press into the meat. Smoke at 150 – 200 for 2-3 hours.

Put turkey in a stockpot and cover with clear water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook slowly for 90 minutes.

Since a turkey breast isn’t a uniform thickness, I recommend the simmering step to avoid overcooking the thinner parts before the thickest parts are done.

Remove the turkey, drain, and allow it to cool completely before cutting into thin slices.
 
Hm- I have not tried this one, but for me this recipe looks overcomplicated.
A week in wet brine should not be necessary.
Furthermore, I can not see why you should simmer the breast in water at the end.
It should be done cooked for two hours in the WSM. If I should guess, the breast will just turn drier afterwards.But I could be wrong.

Regarding injected breasts and so on, I have no idea, as I have never worked with pre- salted breasts.
 
Thanks for the reply. I kind of figured the same but just wanted some reassurance.

It will be in the brine almost 48 hrs tonight. I am going to remove it tonight, pepper it and smoke it to an internal of 160 tomorrow.

It might not be "pastrami" but I bet its going to make some good sandwiches, the brine smelled amazing. I have never brined anything before.
 

 

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