partially cured pastrami


 
C

Cleatus

New member
I did the dry cured pastrami recipe. I cured it for 4 days. There is a small sliver of gray inside where it did not fully cure all the way through on one side. Is it safe to eat this side that has the gray in it? Is it safe the side that looks red all the way through?

Please answer ASAP, I'm supposed to be serving this for dinner at my in-laws.

Thanks.
 
Decided to cut off the uncured part. Based on...
1) It was a good piece of meat from a quality grocery.
2) It was only in the fridge 4 days. I might have cooked it as a regular brisket (no cure at all) after 4 days.
3) it was taken to 170 and promptly cooled.
 
It was cooked to a safe temp, so it is safe to eat. The basic problems (not really problems) you are left with are of cosmetics, flavor (in the uncured part) and, somewhat, texture. If you ran it all through a slicer, and piled it up nicely in a sandwich, I doubt most people would even notice. The only other thing I might consider would be to use it up sooner than if it was cured completely through. If it is, as you say, a small sliver, I would consider the problem (again, not really one) just cosmetic.
 
Nothing to worry about, like Doug said.

Next time make sure you trim the fat more thoroughly, it really impedes the cure penetration.

One thing I've seen from Costco brisket flats is that they actually include a piece of the point and the fatcap between the point and the flat. You really have to get in there and take all that extra material off.
 
I've got one on the smoker right now! Was in the brine cure from the Ruhlmann book "Ratio" for 4 days.

As others have said, you cooked it to a safe temperature, it's mostly cosmetic. But, if the streak is really small you could cut it out if it made you feel better!

Brad.

edited:
All finished now, you can check out an album here:
The Pastrami experiment
 
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