Pastrami and Bacon Cook


 
Jamieson S

Jamieson S

TVWBB Fan
Well, a week for curing is finally up! These are my first projects from the Charcuterie cookbook. Started by firing the faithful WSM up, preparing for a steady day of smoking.

First up is the Pastrami (a trimmed 13lb packer cut brisket), which I plan on smoking with hickory till it hits 150 degrees, then braising in water for 3 or so hours to help make it tender.

After the Pastrami comes off the smoker, I plan on throwing the bacon (2 bellies totaling about 12 lbs I believe) on, using apple wood for smoke.

Should be a good day of cooking, though my hand already dreads all the slicing that lies ahead.

Don't plan on having much room for anything but the essentials if you want to start curing meats:
<A HREF="http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3117/fullfridgemw9.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/3117/fullfridgemw9.jpg </A>

Here is the pastrami rinsed, rubbed and ready to go on the smoker:
<A HREF="http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9602/readyforsmokewv2.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9602/readyforsmokewv2.jpg </A>

Here is the pastrami after about 5.5 hours of smoke, ready to be pulled to start the braising:
<A HREF="http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2199/finishedonsmokernx4.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2199/finishedonsmokernx4.jpg </A>

This is the pastrami on the range, waiting for braising water to simmer:
<A HREF="http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/3078/readyforovenyb2.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/3078/readyforovenyb2.jpg </A>

<A HREF="http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4370/closeinbraisejz5.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4370/closeinbraisejz5.jpg </A>

After a 3-hour braise (sung to Gilligan’s theme song), the pastrami waits to be sliced. One thing that surprised me was how much of the coriander/pepper crust stayed on during the braise. It really didn't look much different:
<A HREF="http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9500/braisedoneji0.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9500/braisedoneji0.jpg </A>

Finally get to slice it. There are not many meals that take a week to prepare (at least that I have made), but this was worth EVERY day of it. The meat was so incredibly tender, but still maintained plenty of moisture. I wish there was a way to take a picture of the smell of braising pastrami through the house...
<A HREF="http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/4549/pastramisliced1ql9.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img309.imageshack.us/img309/4549/pastramisliced1ql9.jpg </A>

<A HREF="http://img332.imageshack.us/img332/2605/pastramisliced2il1.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img332.imageshack.us/img332/2605/pastramisliced2il1.jpg </A>

Here is the bacon, rinsed and ready for the smoker (two other pieces are wrapped in paper towels under this one):
<A HREF="http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1815/readyforsmokerbj3.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1815/readyforsmokerbj3.jpg </A>

<A HREF="http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/8769/readyforsmokercloselx5.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/8769/readyforsmokercloselx5.jpg </A>

The bacon is off the smoker and ready to be chilled and sliced. I skipped the step of air drying it in fridge for 12-24 hours as the recipe calls for. I am assuming this is to form a pellicle for better smoke adhesion. Like I could wait another day to smoke this stuff
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<A HREF="http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/479/baconoffsmokersa1.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/479/baconoffsmokersa1.jpg </A>

<A HREF="http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/6640/baconclose1sm2.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/6640/baconclose1sm2.jpg </A>

One thing I can say about the bacon is that it has a really nice balance of sweet from the maple syrup and sugar in the cure, and a good salty edge to it. One negative thing is the bellies from Peoria Packing (here in Chicago) were terrible. One belly was cut in half and was the two smaller pieces in the picture above. The second one weighed a good deal less and was left whole. You can tell these were cut with meaty spare ribs in mind, so the quality of the bacon suffered a bit. The top belly in the picture above basically had a single 1/16" strip of meat running through it. That entire belly (near 5 pounds) will be frozen and used for cooking. Here is the sliced bacon **** none the less, with dreams of better quality bellies for next time:
<A HREF="http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/2194/baconsliced1mq8.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/2194/baconsliced1mq8.jpg </A>

<A HREF="http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4665/baconsliced2qc1.jpg" TARGET=_blank>http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4665/baconsliced2qc1.jpg </A>

Jamie
 
Jamie,

I love that book!!! My wonderful wife got me that book for Christmas last year and I've been curing and having fun ever since.

What recipes for the bacon are you goig to try? We love the garlic and black pepper as well as the maple syrup cure.

Where did you get your pork belly?

I'm interested to hear how that recipe for the pastrami works out for you since I love the pastrami recipe from this site I have yet to try the books version.

I must say so far everything, but one thing in that book has been perfect. The only problem I ran into was on a ham cook and the cure didn't go to the bone on the ham. I've since injected into the deeper tissue and along the bone to remedy that situation.


Congrats on a great looking cure and let us know more!

Josh
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Josh Z.:
Jamie,

What recipes for the bacon are you going to try? We love the garlic and black pepper as well as the maple syrup cure.

Where did you get your pork belly?

I'm interested to hear how that recipe for the pastrami works out for you since I love the pastrami recipe from this site I have yet to try the books version.
Josh </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I did all of my bacon with the Maple cure, which turned out great taste-wise. It really is an easy process, isn't it? Before this my only curing experience was 25 lbs of Buckboard Bacon, and I think it is a great way to do some different things on the smoker.

My bellies were from Peoria Packing here in Chicago. I think I need to find another source.

The pastrami was one of these most wonderful things I have ever tasted that has come from my WSM. Seriously, if you like Pastrami, you MUST try this recipe. A few things I changed was that the book calls for a 5 lb flat, and I can really only get packers at a good price ($1.59/lb or so at Excel Corned Beef vs. $5+/lb for flats at Costco. So, I increased the brine recipe 2.5x and cured for 7 days instead of 3. Turned out fantastic.

If you plan on doing pastrami, make sure you have a BIG container you can see my 22qt container in my fridge picture, which you can get at restaurant supply stores.

Jamie
 
Easy? Yes, but don't tell that to all the people who rave over the taste.

After the pastrami smoke, how did the steam in the oven go? That is where I was the most curious.

What was wrong with your bellies that you think you need a new source? As far as commercial pork bellies those looked better than the ones that I have gotten.

I use a 5 gallon food grade bucket for curing. Being forced to get one was the greatest. It makes curing hams, turkey, and candadian bacon soooo much easier.
 
Josh-
I did a braise rather than a steam. Just put the brisket in a roasting pan, and added water till it was about 1" up the side and brought it to a simmer on the stove. Then just cover it in foil and put in 300 degree oven for 3 hours. It really did seem to help quite a bit. When it came off the smoker you could tell it was tough. After the braise, the slices took the smallest tug to pull apart.

I would recommend starting with a packer brisket though. A couldn't imagine having only a 5 pound flat of this stuff and the point turns out really well.
Jamie
 
I seem to have the opposite problem of you. I can't find a good packer without a special trip and the price of flats is reasonable as Sams. I'll have to try the braise out. Its been on my list of things to try, but as it turns out I like the pastrami deli-meat style too.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Josh Z.:
I seem to have the opposite problem of you. I can't find a good packer without a special trip and the price of flats is reasonable as Sams. I'll have to try the braise out. Its been on my list of things to try, but as it turns out I like the pastrami deli-meat style too. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You really do need to give it a try. I believe with a flat you only need to brine for 3 days so you could have some ready by next weekend
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I would recommend you make 2, as this stuff goes fast.
Jamie
 
As a 'strami eater and maker, I recommend doing 4 at least and doing your next batch when you still have two left, if you practice you still have time to give homemade pastrami for Xmas.

If you vacuum seal it then wrap it like Xmas gifs, you can sit back and enjoy the look of surprise on peoples faces this year, then next year you give them something the same sort of size and weight, but different, and look at the shock when they find out it is not the wonderful gift they got last year, you can then produce the real gifts and see the wonder and pleasure again…This produces hours of fun at our family gatherings.
 
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