a question about cuts for making pastrami?

[smoke ninja]

I usually take advantage of the st. Patrick day sales and buy several corned beef flats for pastrami but this year I'd like to cure my own for one. For whatever reason flats cost as much as steak so im not buying one of those. I'm not sure about buying a packer for this.

So here's what I'm thinking. .........

Cure the whole brisket.

Separate the flat and smoke the point

Separate and cure both cuts

A round roast?

Or my crazy idea....... cure a tri tip. I bet this would work great. Anyone every hear of such a thing?


Also has anyone ever cured, vac sealed, then freeze for smoking later?

 

[Moose]

Ninja,

I know I'm not quite answering your question as you pose it, but my experience buying a corned beef, then de-brining for a few days has turned out such amazing pastrami that I personally wouldn't go to all the trouble to start from scratch, not when I can crank out something like this that tastes as good as any NY deli, including Katz's:

Just my $.10...I'd certainly be watching this thread, especially from those who are experienced in going the from scratch route.

 

[smoke ninja]

I hear ya moose. Ill be buying a half dozen or so to freeze for future use when they go on sale for the upcoming "holiday" But its one of those things i want to try at least once just to say i did it. i envision the tri tip pastrami would be uniquely awesome But have know idea.

 

[13013]

I do the same and stock up when they are cheap, I'll be following this for sure, it seems like tri-tip is on sale every other week!

 

[Ron_L]

I typically do as Moose suggested and use store bought corned beef because it's easy, but curing your own and then using that for pastrami is much better.

Traditionally, pastrami is made from beef plate, but that's hard to find so I usually use a brisket flat. You can also use the point for fattier pastrami.

As far as the pastrami, I've been using Thirdeye's recipe...

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/05/beef-pastrami.html

 

[Moose]

I hear ya moose. Ill be buying a half dozen or so to freeze for future use when they go on sale for the upcoming "holiday" But its one of those things i want to try at least once just to say i did it. i envision the tri tip pastrami would be uniquely awesome But have know idea.

If you can get nicely marbled USDA Choice Tri-Tip, I would imagine it would turn out stellar, especially if you can get it untrimmed with a nice 1/4+ inch fat cap. Keep us posted!

 

[Ron_L]

I can see where tri-tip would be good, but around here tri-tip is more expensive than brisket :tsk:

 

[smoke ninja]

I can see where tri-tip would be good, but around here tri-tip is more expensive than brisket :tsk:

I can get tri tip for 6 or 7 $ lbs i think. Cheaper then a flat but more then a packer. At $20 a tri tip is still affordable enough for an experiment.

 

[sbramm]

i've used eye of round for a leaner cut with great success with both pastrami and corned beef. i've even used a pork loin and i turned out great as well. had the texture of ham but the taste of pastrami.

for a recipe, i use ruhlmans in his charcuterie book.

 

[13013]

Woah at 6-7$ a lb I guess I wouldn't try it, is that like usda prime or something!? Here its usually $3-4/lb on sale...

 

[smoke ninja]

Woah at 6-7$ a lb I guess I wouldn't try it, is that like usda prime or something!? Here its usually $3-4/lb on sale...

Thats probably high choice and not on sale. its harder to find on sale, but i think i Remember getting them 12-15 before (for the roast not by the pound). Tri tip is not sold everywhere here. Ground chuck is over $3.50 At some places. Most cuts seem to be in the 5-7 $ range here with steaks being a little more.

I can part with a twenty dollar bill, thats not even a plate at a decent restaurant.

 

[smoke ninja]

i've used eye of round for a leaner cut with great success with both pastrami and corned beef. i've even used a pork loin and i turned out great as well. had the texture of ham but the taste of pastrami.

for a recipe, i use ruhlmans in his charcuterie book.

I think of canadian bacon from cured pork loin, ive done that once. Whats the difference between a cure for corned beef, pastrami, and Canadian bacon?

 

[1buckie]

I do the same and stock up when they are cheap, I'll be following this for sure, it seems like tri-tip is on sale every other week!

It USED to be like that here.....now that it's available more areas, it's not on sale as often & has climbed in price.....

Woah at 6-7$ a lb I guess I wouldn't try it, is that like usda prime or something!? Here its usually $3-4/lb on sale...

Check & see....it used to go on sale often, Angus Choice, for $2.99, then went to $3.49, then way up....a lot of times I see scrawny ones for 6 & 7 per lb now......sales haven't happened lately....not griping at all.... glad that more people around the country & elsewhere can check it out !!!!

I can get tri tip for 6 or 7 $ lbs i think. Cheaper then a flat but more then a packer. At $20 a tri tip is still affordable enough for an experiment.

Something I've seen in the last two years is the pre-packaged corned beef, but half the stock offered is made from points......

Don't see why tri-tip wouldn't work......being a goofball that I am, I treat tri-tip about like brisket point anyway....cooked them side by side at times & used t-tip for burnt ends, etc.

Like Moose said, maybe try to get one (some) with the fatcap intact so you can trim the way you'd like.....I get bags of 4 or 5, untrimmed & cook them just like that....

They hold injection real well.....

No reason they wouldn't cure well also....

 

[dadsr4]

I can get tri tip for 6 or 7 $ lbs i think. Cheaper then a flat but more then a packer. At $20 a tri tip is still affordable enough for an experiment.

I think you have answered your question. When experimenting, I always spend what I am comfortable with. It allows the playing around to be more enjoyable.

 

[IamMadMan]

i've used eye of round for a leaner cut with great success with both pastrami and corned beef.

I also use Eye of Round and Beef Bottom Round for lean corned beef and pastrami. Very tasty lean beef.

If you are corning your own beef and you are near a butcher, try corning a naval plate and make beef bacon... Awesome change for bacon from time to time.

 

[Ron_L]

I tried a corned round when they were on sale last year and didn't like the texture. Maybe it would be different if I cured it myself.

 

[smoke ninja]

So does anyone have a good recipe for pastrami? Thirdeyes is great but it's for pastrami from a corned beef and im looking to do the cure myself for one. So far I've only cured a pork loin for Canadian bacon.

 

[IamMadMan]

So does anyone have a good recipe for pastrami? Thirdeyes is great but it's for pastrami from a corned beef and im looking to do the cure myself for one. So far I've only cured a pork loin for Canadian bacon.

Pastrami is made from corned beef... So you have to cure the beef first, then use the pastrami recipe...
Below are two recipes I have used for corning beef....

I use this recipe.... I omit crushed bay leaf and add 2 -3 tablespoons of pickling spice for the flavor I like. (pickling spice has bay leaf in it)
http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Corned_Beef.pdf

Then there is the famous Michael Ruhlman's recipe...
http://blog.ruhlman.com/2010/03/corned-beef-how-to-cure-your-own/

Both can be used on Brisket or the leaner cuts like Eye of Round and Bottom Round..

 

[Shagdog]

I've done this one before, came out excellent.

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/close_to_katzs_home_made_pastrami.html

 

[Zak]

https://web.archive.org/web/20010204051600/http://randyq.addr.com/index.html

I just smoked a pastrami from scratch this past weekend using Randy Q's method. I had a small brisket in the freezer from a case I had bought, about 8.5 lbs. The only difference in my take on this recipe is that I used cure #1 instead of tender quick. It came out good but I should've taken it to 180 or higher instead of about 165. I pulled it about 160 then wrapped it in foil and into a 250 oven for an hour and a half with some beef broth added.