1st time pastrami questions


 
S

S. Fink

TVWBB Fan
I'm going to give pastrami a shot for the 1st time next weekend. I'm using the recipe in Ruhlman's "Charcuterie". A couple of questions:

1 - Is there a preferred wood for Pastrami?

2 - The recipe calls for a slow smoke to 150 internal and then finish steaming in the oven. Can I go straight from smoker to oven, or should I rest the brisket in between?

3 - They recommend a 200 degree smoke so the brisket takes on a lot of smoke as it gets to temp. Could I still high-heat it to 150, or will that not give it enough time in the smoke?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
1. Not really. I think something with a little oomph is better - like pecan or oak - but fruit wood or a blend works too.

2. You can do either. And you can rest, cool, fridge, then reheat/finish by steaming. You can steam in the oven or the top of the stove. You can also finish sous vide.

3. You can HH if you prefer. Use more wood and/or take the meat to a higher internal - 160 or 165 - to increase smoke time.
 
Would it be a bad idea to put the meat straight from the fridge into the smoker? That would give you more time in the smoke too.

Bobby
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">You can also finish sous vide. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This makes me giggle... This would have to be the most advanced finishing method in the world. Finishing bbq stuff sous vide also tends to make things taste rather funky IMO. Sous vide does work very well for reheating smaller amounts over a shorter period of time though.
 
Never thought of a pot of water and a vac'd bag as 'advanced' but, well, okay.

Pastrami isn't 'barbecue stuff' to me. For that I'd simply finish it in the smoker and not steam.
 
Thought I'd share the results. On a cloudless day, I had trouble keeping temps below 260, and it ended up getting to 270 internal before I pulled it off the smoker. Used white oak:

http://i1002.photobucket.com/a...mmer_10/IMG_1988.jpg

Then 2.25 hours steamed in a dutch oven:

http://i1002.photobucket.com/a...mmer_10/IMG_2002.jpg
http://i1002.photobucket.com/a...mmer_10/IMG_2003.jpg
http://i1002.photobucket.com/a...mmer_10/IMG_2005.jpg

I was very happy w/ the taste. I probably didn't let it rest long enough before slicing, but I had a house full of hungry guests. Definitely something that I'll be doing more of.
 
Ah, I see.

If you did not steam it after smoking that would affect slicing too; this provided you took the meat off at less than 185-195.

If you have leftovers (unsliced) in the fridge, the chilled meat will be easier to slice. You can then re-warm via steaming (if you wish) which will further cook the meat, making it more tender and easier to slice.
 
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