First time corned beef and pastrami!

Hi all.

I did a 5 day pickle (2 cups salt/gallon, 1tbsp pink salt, spices). For the corned beef I rinsed it well and simmered until tender with an onion, carrot and celery. It was great tasting and was fall apart tender. Wow!

The pastrami was the same 5day soaking but went with a 12 hour fresh water salt removing soak with about 4 changes. I put a pepper, coriander and garlic rub on it and took it in my UDS to about 165 degrees. I then steam finished it to 170 degrees in my oven raised in a foil pan with water in the bottom.

The pastrami was cut thinly across the grain at an angle. My question is this. I think it was a bit rubbery in the chew. How can I prevent that and make it better?

Thanks so much in advance to all the experts (like Thirdeye, Norcoredneck, and BigMista and all the others)!

My next batch soaking is a weaker pickle (1cup salt/gallon, 1tbsp pink salt) which Alton Brown says is a 10day cure. Do y'all concur?

All the best! I am very happy with the taste and the corned beef texture.

Dovid

Thanks Bluesman, will try that on the next batch. I actually know where Fond du Lac is too!

I also wonder what to do if I wanted the corned beef to hold together more? Boil fewer hours?

Has anyone parboiled their pastrami-to-be, then rubbed it and smoked it? Did it, or would it make a difference?

Thanks for the feedback!
Dovid

Thanks Thirdeye. I don't yet have a pressure cooker. I guess the answer is to steam the pastrami up to tenderness then, however I can get it there?

Thanks again. I will read it soon. You are a real guide. Way back even, when I was building/investigating the UDS concept.

Ok all. Wow. The second pastrami was 100% moister and somewhat more tender than the first. I removed it at about 155F from the smoker and put it into the oven at about 250F in a sealed pan raised above water. I took it to about 200F before resting and slicing across the grain on a bias. Got rave reviews, but I know I want more tenderness, ala deli sandwich style. So thirdeye, I will be looking towards a pressure cooker in the near future I believe! I don't think I will be able to achieve the moistness without it. Does everyone concur? Or am I trying to fit great pastrami into a style which needs a different cooking method? Thanks again!