Smokefire Cured Pastrami


 

Lew Newby

R.I.P. 1/26/2024
My son and I did our first cured Pastrami. I used the recipes and process Chris Allingham has on The Virtual Weber Bullet site in his Beef section. I got a choice 6 lb. Brisket Flat from the Publix butcher and last Sunday we put the cure on. Pastrami Dry Cure TVWB

  • 1/4 cup Morton Tender Quick
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated garlic powder
  • 2 Tablespoons ground coriander
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Makes enough cure for one brisket flat.

We put in a 2 gallon Ziplock bag and in the fridge. We turned it after breakfast and dinner each day. Today we pulled it out, he rinsed it well, and we soaked it 3 hours in the sin, changing the water every 30 minutes to pull some salt out of it. After 3 hours we rinsed and dried the meat.

Spike mixed the rub and applied it to the Flat.

Pastrami Rub

  • 3 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, slightly coarse grind
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds, slightly coarse grind - can use powder. We did because we couldn’t find seeds.
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder


Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Apply a generous amount of rub to all surfaces of the meat, more than you would for normal barbecue. We used all of this rub on my brisket.

We then put it onto the Smokefire top grate with a water/drip pan on the main grate and cooked at a set temp of 275°. My grill was running about 30° hot and the cook took 5 hours and 10 minutes. Chris took 3 hours to get his flat to 165°F. I pulled it off, rested it for 2 hours double wrapped in heavy duty foil, and we brought it inside for the reveal. Spike sliced it with our 59 year old meat slicer last picture..

This is from my smoking log.

Finished product Dark crusty exterior, Pastrami pink inside, juice squeezes out of the corner piece, very tender, and soooooo GOOD. Spike, Laura, SWMBO, and I really liked the taste. Laura said, "Now that's what Pastrami is supposed to taste like. All of the flavors are there."



Next time: CHANGE NOTHING!10-15-23 Pastrami Rinsed.JPG10-15-23 Pastrami Ready.JPG10-15-23 Pastrami Wrap.JPG10-15-23 Pastrami Sliced.JPG
 
Looks great Lew.

Unless you're doing a whole brisket, dry cure is the only way to go IMO. Once I get the dry cure on it, I vacuum seal and toss into the fridge to cure. Great thing about using this method is if you do multiple cuts. Once they're cured you can freeze in the bags and thaw when you want either pastrami or corned beef. Works well when you find a great deal on beef roasts.
 
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