Making Pastrami: Store-bought Corned Beef or Home-made?

[airedale]

I made my first batch of corned beef a month or so ago. I started with a small brisket to minimize losses if it was a flop. The majority of the pickeling recipes I found were very similar: black pepper, coriander, mustard seeds, bay leaves, etc. so I used one of those.

The result was good news and bad news. The good news was that the experiment worked very well and the corned beef was delicious. The bad news was that it wasn't hugely different in flavor than the store bought stuff, and considering the cost of the spices and the brisket it was quite a bit more expensive.

I reserved half of the brisket and smoked it yesterday. It was a great success. Moist (I did inject some beef bouillon), tender, etc. Everything one could want. But of course 10+ hours in the smoker added flavors that somewhat submerged the corned beef flavor.

So here is my question: For those of you who are somewhat regular pastrami makers, do you think there is any reason to use home-made corned beef? Based on my limited experience I am thinking there is not.

(Opinions, please from those who have BTDT. Not too interested in theories from those who have not. Thanks for respecting this.)

 

[ShadowDriver]

I don't have a whole lot of extra fridge space to dedicate to the full corning process, plus I like the fact that I can go get a corned brisket POINT from Wally World, and then turn that into pastrami on my own timeline.

To me, the timing and flexibility bits are worth the potential cost differential.

 

[airedale]

... To me, the timing and flexibility bits are worth the potential cost differential.

Not sure I understand this? Are you saying that Wally's corned beef is more expensive than your home-made? I haven't done a careful comparison but I think my home made was more expensive than grocery store.

 

[ShadowDriver]

Are you saying that Wally's corned beef is more expensive than your home-made? I haven't done a careful comparison but I think my home made was more expensive than grocery store.

No. I haven't priced them out with performing the whole process vs. purchasing a pre-corned hunk of meat. That said, typically, the price per oz/lb of a commercially available product is more expensive than doing it yourself... but, I typically have all of those spices and whatnot at home already.

I was just offering the thought that convenience and flexibility is also worth my money.

 

[captndan]

If you can get already corned beef for $2.50 then go with that. If you want to corn your own use top round on sale instead of brisket. Almost all store bought cornerd brisket is round anyhow.

 

[airedale]

If you can get already corned beef for $2.50 then go with that. If you want to corn your own use top round on sale instead of brisket. Almost all store bought cornerd brisket is round anyhow.

Interesting. What's the tradeoff? Less fat with the top round? Cheaper? I'm no student of corned beef but what I remember seeing at the grocery store is either market flats or points. No top round that I remember anyway.

 

[thirdeye]

Very valid question, and for the record I put 2 pastrami on my smoker about 90 minutes ago.

Advantages of corning your own beef would be knowing exactly what goes into the curing process, being able to corn any cuts you wish (like a brisket, chuck, London broil, or a round roast), and of course the satisfaction of doing the entire process yourself. For what it's worth I like making my own sausage and hot dogs for those same reasons.

Reasons to use store-bought corned briskets or rounds are less waiting time, and convenience. I can buy a corned brisket one day, soak it for 6 hours, season and rest overnight, smoke it for 5 hours the following day, and pressure finish it for 40 minutes and I'm done. Call it less than 30 hours. When I corn my own I would need 5 days or so. But I need to stress that for consistent results you must buy a quality corned beef not an off-brand.

Today will be pastrami #5 and #6 of the Sam's Club Members Mark brand. For as long as I can remember I purchased Grobbles brand from Sam's Club which were top notch and very consistent, but my Sam's stopped carrying them. So far I've been very pleased as have the two people that I've gifted some to.

 

[WareZdaBeef]

I wonder what Katz rubs on their pastrami that makes it almost black. Ive noticed this same pitch black coating on boars head pastrami and their roast beef. It it not peppery at all.

 

[North Is Up]

I wonder what Katz rubs on their pastrami that makes it almost black. Ive noticed this same pitch black coating on boars head pastrami and their roast beef. It it not peppery at all.

Explained here at the 50-second point of the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57hmKJNS6Gw

I prefer a homemade corned beef for pastrami. Did it only once, but it was so much better than a store-bought corned beef, but it took so long from start to finish. I retired a few months ago. I guess I have time now. I can't cut corners knowing what I know now about having complete control of the process.

 

[Baychilla]

No. I haven't priced them out with performing the whole process vs. purchasing a pre-corned hunk of meat. That said, typically, the price per oz/lb of a commercially available product is more expensive than doing it yourself... but, I typically have all of those spices and whatnot at home already.

I was just offering the thought that convenience and flexibility is also worth my money.

I made bacon a few times. It came out more/lb than buy the local artesenal stuff and far more than the local store made stuff. It was fun to do but in the future I'll save time and money by buying the store made bacon.

 

[WareZdaBeef]

Explained here at the 50-second point of the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57hmKJNS6Gw

I prefer a homemade corned beef for pastrami. Did it only once, but it was so much better than a store-bought corned beef, but it took so long from start to finish. I retired a few months ago. I guess I have time now. I can't cut corners knowing what I know now about having complete control of the process.

I watched that but There is no way those ingredients produce that pitch black coating. It would take so much black pepper most people could not eat it. All those other ingredients do not darken like that. Especially anything coarse.

 

[Desert Hawg]

I made a pastrami using a store bought Corned Beef Point. I thought it turned out okay. I liked it, and one day shall make another,

 

[airedale]

Thanks, all. Obviously people's experience varies. I am also interested in the idea that cuts other than brisket can be used. My wife likes brisket but spends a lot of time trimming off the external and internal fat, which she hates.

I made bacon a few times. It came out more/lb than buy the local artesenal stuff and far more than the local store made stuff. It was fun to do but in the future I'll save time and money by buying the store made bacon.

Hmm... I'm not sure where I would buy "artisenal" bacon but mine, cold smoked 12 hours, is so much better than commercial or butcher-shop bacon that I don't care about cost comparison. Actually my good bacon experience is why I was so surprised when my maiden-voyage corned beef wasn't much better than the store-bought stuff.

 

[ulc]

I've had complete opposite experience. I tried couple store bought corned beef and I found it really sub-par. I couldn't get the right salt level. First time, even after overnight soak, the store bought beef was way too salty. The second time, I desalinated for like 3 days because of my first experience and ended up removing too much salt. The finished pastrami was too bland and needed more salt.

So I made my own homemade using chuck roast and ended up with the best pastrami. And I didn't have to desalinate because I controlled the salt level of the brine. I simply rinsed once under running water and the finished pastrami had the perfect salt level. I also made lamb pastrami and it was perfect as well. It's so simple to corn meat at home I will never buy another corned beef.

 

[thirdeye]

I've had complete opposite experience. I tried couple store bought corned beef and I found it really sub-par. I couldn't get the right salt level. First time, even after overnight soak, the store bought beef was way too salty. The second time, I desalinated for like 3 days because of my first experience and ended up removing too much salt. The finished pastrami was too bland and needed more salt.

So I made my own homemade using chuck roast and ended up with the best pastrami. And I didn't have to desalinate because I controlled the salt level of the brine. I simply rinsed once under running water and the finished pastrami had the perfect salt level. I also made lamb pastrami and it was perfect as well. It's so simple to corn meat at home I will never buy another corned beef.

What cuts of lamb are you using? We buy yearling lamb from a local distributor and the legs are fairly reasonable.

 

[bergenguy]

I've done both and I prefer the full homemade version.

This past St. Patricks day when corned beef was on sale for $1.88 / lb I bought a couple (JP O'Reilly's USDA Choice Corned Beef Brisket) and tried to make Pastrami from them since the investment wasn't too dear. They were definitely edible but the flavor just wasn't all there and the consistency was kind of weird. I ate it but my kids didn't like it.

I've done regular pastrami from scratch with both beef and Wild Goose breasts and the results are great. I use the pastrami recipe from "in the Charcuterie".

I don't think I would do Pastrami from store bought corned beef again. But I wouldn't advise anyone not to try it, it just didn't suit my tastes.

 

[ulc]

What cuts of lamb are you using? We buy yearling lamb from a local distributor and the legs are fairly reasonable.

I used boneless leg from Costco. That's about the only reasonably priced cut I've found and it's still kind of expensive at around $5 /lb.

 

[-Chris-]

I wonder what Katz rubs on their pastrami that makes it almost black.

It is the way they cook it, steaming does it. I can't find the recipe now, maybe it is in Rhulman's book but here is the process:

1. Corn the brisket with your favorite corning solution.
2. Remove from corning solution and coat with a layer of cracked coriander and black pepper.
3. Smoke at a low temperature until the brisket reaches 150 internal temp. It will be a mahogany color at this point.
4. Preheat your oven to 275-300 degrees. Elevate the brisket, I used an upside down muffin pan, in an oven safe pot with lid, add some water and bring to a boil on the stovetop.
5. Once boiling, place in oven until probe tender. 3-5 hours depending how accurate your oven holds such a low temp.

You will not believe your eyes, the pastrami will be as black as midnight. The steaming also pulls a ton of salt out of the meat, so if it is really salty going in, it will balance itself out.


Chris

 

[MrMike]

I haunt the meat department just before St Patricks Day and wait for all that corn beef to go on sale. I think I paid 1.69 lb this year. I soak it in water with a couple of cut up potatoes for several days (changing water twice a day), then use Third Eye's rub.
Always works for me!

 

[EdF]

I saw a recipe and method for short rib pastrami over on AmazingRibs. Definitely going to be trying that one out sometime.