Smoke-a-Palooza!


 
Rich G

Rich G

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With the lovely weather we're having in Northern California, I decided I would spend Sunday with my grill. I cut up a whole loin from CostCo last week, and got about 10 lbs of it curing in a basic dry cure (1.7% salt, .25% cure #1, 1% sugar). Flipped every day (or every day I remembered) for 8 days. On Saturday, I was at CostCo toying with the idea of getting a packer brisket to make into pastrami, but decided to take a short cut and grabbed a couple of the Shenson brand corned beef rounds instead (I probably should have gotten one of the Snake River rounds to compare, but I cheated out!) Got the beef into a container of cold water, soaked for 8 hours, changed the water, then soaked another 16 hours. When I took it out of the water, I dried it thoroughly, then hit it with black pepper/ground coriander/garlic powder.

On Sunday morning, I fired up the grill at 240F, and texted a couple of neighbors to let them know there would be some room........

Faux-strami up top with my buddy's spares down below (the loin was in the smoke box rocking at about 155F):

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The ribs were done in about 5.25 hours (small racks), but I didn't get a done pic. I took the faux-strami to 170F, wrapped, then to 195F. Pulled to rest in a cooler, then overnight in the fridge:

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My other neighbor came by with a rack of baby backs, which took just about four hours:

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The loin ("Canadian bacon") took about 7 hours, and I moved it over to the main pit section to get it done (kinda stalled out at 130F in the smokebox), pulled/wrapped/rested, then overnight to firm up:

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My company was kind enough to give me a day off today, which came in handy so I could finish processing........ That Beswood 10" slicer I got off CL last year made short work of both the loin and faux-strami:

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Both of the cured meats turned out fantastic, and I was very happy with the faux-strami especially. Nice and tender, salt level is good, and the pepper/coriander/garlic powder rub gives it that classic pastrami flavor. Some tasty sandwiches in my future (though I still have some vacuum sealing to do!)

Thanks for looking!

Rich
 
I need to find some neighbors like yours! Everything looks great and your going to be stocked up for a while! I think my next big purchase is going to be a meat slicer. No other way to end up with perfectly sliced meat. Just need to find somewhere to keep it!
 
Steve Madden said:
I need to find some neighbors like yours! Everything looks great and your going to be stocked up for a while! I think my next big purchase is going to be a meat slicer. No other way to end up with perfectly sliced meat. Just need to find somewhere to keep it!
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Steve, once I decided that I wanted to upgrade from my Chef's Choice slicer, I made room for it.....I like to do enough of these cured/smoked meat sessions that it is worth it to me (and it looks perfect on the shelf in the garage next to my big meat grinder!) :)

Bill Bauernfeind said:
That looks great Rich. I am thinking of going down the meat slicer/vac sealing route myself. It was a beautiful day to be out with the grills.
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Gorgeous day, Bill, and another good one today, too!

All packaged up, and first sandwich in the books......

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Rich G said:
Steve, once I decided that I wanted to upgrade from my Chef's Choice slicer, I made room for it.....I like to do enough of these cured/smoked meat sessions that it is worth it to me (and it looks perfect on the shelf in the garage next to my big meat grinder!) :)


Gorgeous day, Bill, and another good one today, too!

All packaged up, and first sandwich in the books......

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Lol. I had a line on a used Berkel last week for $150 but the guy flaked out. The search continues!
 
Cliff Bartlett said:
They're all wonderful photos Rich, but that sammie bringing up the rear......... absolutely delectable
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Thanks, Cliff. There are some who think that bread to meat ratio is out of whack, but I unfriended them! :) The sandwich did lack cheese (out of Swiss), but really didn't need it. :)

BryanO said:
Pfffft. Need to find neighbors like HIM....
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I'm pretty easy to find, Bryan.....and my neighbor across the street is putting his house on the market. Let me know if you want the details! :)

R
 
Agreed the right tools are helpful. Getting a vacuum sealer def made smoking cheese for convenient and less of a hassle. A meat slicer is next on the list. Will make a lot of things that want to try (thanks to this site) more doable.
 
I was planning on grabbing a couple SRF rounds this week one for pastrami, any reason you went with the other one?
 
Rich G said:
Thanks, Cliff. There are some who think that bread to meat ratio is out of whack, but I unfriended them! :) The sandwich did lack cheese (out of Swiss), but really didn't need it. :)


I'm pretty easy to find, Bryan.....and my neighbor across the street is putting his house on the market. Let me know if you want the details! :)

R
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Yeah. Anyone with a problem with the meat to bread ratio was raised in a loveless home. 😊
Checking job listings in the area now.....
 
Rich G said:
The Shenson brand was 1/2 the price.... :) I really should have gotten one of each for scientific purposes! :)

R
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I will take one for the team and get the SRF rounds! I will be doing one as traditional boiled corned beef for St Patrick’s day, it’s tradition round these parts!
 
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