Pastrami Curing Question


 
T

Tom Raveret

TVWBB Pro
I have a Pastrami dilemma.

I started curing pastrami on Saturday which means I should be cooking it on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest according to Chris’s pastrami recipe. I had a curve ball thrown at me at work today and it is going to be difficult for me to get the time on either Tuesday or Wednesday to cook the two briskets.

What would the effect be of continuing the curing process one more day until Thursday morning?

I'm concerned that could make the meat too salty?

Alternatively I would have the time to stop the curing process either Tuesday morning or Wednesday morning and rinse and soak the meat and then cook it on Thursday.

I’m doing two 5-6 lb flats if that makes any difference.

My only experience in curing was buckboard bacon so any assistance would be graciously appreciated.

Thanks
 
You could rinse off the cure and do the two 30-minute pre-cook freshwater soaks at whatever point you feel the cure is complete. Waiting a day or two more to then cook them should then be OK.
 
Thanks Doug! that presents an interesting question. When would I know the cure is complete? How would I judge that? I'm jsut going by the recipie saying 3 days but that it would be ok leaving it until 4 days.
 
My usual schedule is to start a cure on Thursday evening to start cooking Sunday at noon. Every so often I'll have a small pocket about 1/4" thick in the thickest part that the cure didn't get through. If you have the leeway, leave it an extra day in the cure.
 
does leaving it int he cure the extra day effect how saltythe finished product is? (I will rinse like crazy and soak as much as is needed)

Should I add a soak if I leave it in longer?
 
turned out great and was a real hit. Juset sliced up the extra and put in food saver bags for football season (if it lasts that long) It was an easy smoke and since I didnt have any pecan right now I used a couple chinks of apple and one of cherry was great. Thanks for thehelp on this. It ended up 4 days for the cure then last night I rinsed and did the soaks patted dry adn cooked today.

My only concern is getting water cold enough for the soaks so as not to take the meat into a danger zone temprature wise. Is this concern warranted or am I being too cautious. I was doing the soaks in my second fridge with a pickle bucket so I filled the bucket for the first soak and chilled it earlier in the day. for the second one I used what ice I had in my freezer to chill it down but for the third one I had to go with tap water and jsut hope it wasnt in the danger zone too long.

Pastrami is definately worth trying.
 
Tap water is okay as long as the meat is cold and you're putting it right back into the fridge. The quantity of brine is small enough that it will chill adequately in a short enough time.
 
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