I'd ask about corned beef briskets, but Pastrami is smoked, and thus on topic :wink:.
Does any one have experience freezing uncooked, home-cured, wet-cured meats? I'm particularly intersted in the following:
If you freeze it before it's cured, will it still cure and take on pickling flavours frozen?
If you freeze it after it's cured, should you leave it in the curing brine, or switch to water? Will the brine make it get too salty? Will water degrade the flavour? Is there a specificing point in time where it should be frozen, like 10 days in?
Does time come into play for any of the above?
Every March I tell myself I should take advantage of St. Patrick's Day, cure up a bunch of brisket, and freeze it for use throughout the year. I always ask myself the above questions, tell myself to research it, and then forget until the next year. With Restaurant Depot open in the area, I may actually try my hand at beef plate now too. Ruhlman only mentions freezing bacon after it has been dry cured. Any one have a copy of Kutas?
dmp
Does any one have experience freezing uncooked, home-cured, wet-cured meats? I'm particularly intersted in the following:
If you freeze it before it's cured, will it still cure and take on pickling flavours frozen?
If you freeze it after it's cured, should you leave it in the curing brine, or switch to water? Will the brine make it get too salty? Will water degrade the flavour? Is there a specificing point in time where it should be frozen, like 10 days in?
Does time come into play for any of the above?
Every March I tell myself I should take advantage of St. Patrick's Day, cure up a bunch of brisket, and freeze it for use throughout the year. I always ask myself the above questions, tell myself to research it, and then forget until the next year. With Restaurant Depot open in the area, I may actually try my hand at beef plate now too. Ruhlman only mentions freezing bacon after it has been dry cured. Any one have a copy of Kutas?
dmp