Pastrami question

[bnew17]

Im going to be trying my hand on Pastrami for the first time for Thanksgiving. I have been doing alot of reading on the subject and have most of it down but im still a little unsure on the brine part and have some other questions i hope the more experienced cookers in here dont mind answering.

1. Is there a "go to" brine that most people like to use?


2. Does the water in the brine need to be changed every so often?

3. HOw long do i brine the brisket?

4. What do i use to get the red look to the meat? Ive read of a product called "Saltpeter" but i have never heard or seen it before. My only options of getting spices are locally at Kroger/publix.

Thanks

[woodbutcher1]

Rather then brineing a whole brisket for 3 weeks just go and get Corned Beef
and place in a non metallic container covered with enough cold water to pull out some of the salt.

[Ron_L]

I've used the recipe in this link a few times and it come out great! It's much better than using a store bought corned beef brisket.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10362

[RevZiLLa]

Rather then brineing a whole brisket for 3 weeks just go and get Corned Beef
and place in a non metallic container covered with enough cold water to pull out some of the salt.

This is easy and good. Soak, dry, coat with cracked pepper and smoke over hickory until internal reaches 170 or so.

I just don't have the refrigerator space to brine for weeks

[buccaneer]

Im going to be trying my hand on Pastrami for the first time for Thanksgiving. I have been doing alot of reading on the subject and have most of it down but im still a little unsure on the brine part and have some other questions i hope the more experienced cookers in here dont mind answering.

1. Is there a "go to" brine that most people like to use?


2. Does the water in the brine need to be changed every so often?

3. HOw long do i brine the brisket?

4. What do i use to get the red look to the meat? Ive read of a product called "Saltpeter" but i have never heard or seen it before. My only options of getting spices are locally at Kroger/publix.

Thanks
Brine recipe
3/4 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp sodium nitrate
5 cloves garlic
4 Tbs pickling spice
per 5 lb meat
Place all in non reactive pot and refrigerate for 2 days but if it is a thick piece of meat, 3 days
Dont chnage the brine, just leave it.Rinse carefully , dry for a day in the fridge and coat with equal parts pepper and toasted ground coriander seeds before smoking.
Bucc

[bnew17]

Brine recipe
3/4 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp sodium nitrate
5 cloves garlic
4 Tbs pickling spice
per 5 lb meat
Place all in non reactive pot and refrigerate for 2 days but if it is a thick piece of meat, 3 days
Dont chnage the brine, just leave it.Rinse carefully , dry for a day in the fridge and coat with equal parts pepper and toasted ground coriander seeds before smoking.
Bucc

Thank you for the info. On your brine recipe is the sodium nitrate the curing agent? Is this tender quick?

[bluetang]

I'm sure bucc will chime in when he gets back online, but in the meantime: I think that he is referring to cure #1, or prague powder, which is 6.25% nitrite, and the rest of it salt, pink in color. There is also a cure #2, also pink which has both sodium nitrite as well as sodium nitrate, in very small quantities, mixed in salt.
Here is what I do:
2Tablespoons blk peppercorns
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
6 bay leaves
2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 Tablespoon garlic juice
2 teaspoons whole juniper berries
155 grams Kosher salt
108 grams dextrose
175 grams cure #1
1 gallon water
Bring water to boil, add and dissolve salt and dextrose
Remove from heat, add the rest of the spices(not the cure yet) and steep until cool, then chill to 38 F
Add cure
Pump meat to 15% of green weight
Submerge meat in remaining brine for 3-5 days @ 38F
Rinse before smoking.
Add coatings of your choice

[buccaneer]

Thank you for the info. On your brine recipe is the sodium nitrate the curing agent? Is this tender quick?
Apologies, a stupid typo by me.
Should be sodium Nitrite.
Bluetang to the rescue.
I have no idea what tender quick is but assume it is a brand name of a similar product. You buy the 'curing salt' from butcher supply shops and it is a product as Bluetang describes. It is overkill on preventing botulism but does give the meat an appetising red coloring.
Sounds like #1 to me.
Once again, I apologise for the dumb error.:pray:

[SmokinAussie]

Yes, that's what Buccs meant. Cure #1. It's not generally called that in Australia.