Pastrami

[HeatnSmoke]

I want to make NY style pastrami and will use the method posted in amazingribs.com which says:

1) Make your corned beef (use brisket)
2) Soak for 12 hours
3) Apply rub, let sit for 3 days-ish
4) Low and slow smoke up to 98c internal
5) Cool off, let sit overnight
6) Steam and serve

This being my first attempt I skipped step 1 to keep things simple and bought corned beef from my butcher which is silverside.

Question - should I still low and slow up to 98c internal? Or is target temp now 65c internal because it's a leaner cut than brisket?

[wedwards]

I smoke it up to 70 then put in a pan with wire rack at bottom and some orange juice. Cover with foil and take up to 90. I only leave rub overnight, but I vacuum seal it so that speeds things up a bit

[HeatnSmoke]

Thanks wedwards, this has given me a couple of ideas. Over the long weekend I smoked a 2.7kg corned silverside up to 70. Then pulled it out and let it rest overnight. Heated up with steam the next day. As soon as I removed it from the steamer the family attacked it like a pack of wolves before I could make reuben sandwiches! It was a lot more moist than going up to 98 but not quite as tender. I wanted to do set this as a baseline. Next time round, I'll take it up to 80 with something like your set up and see where that ends up re moistness and tenderness. If better, then will take it up to 90...

[urbangriller]

Thanks wedwards, this has given me a couple of ideas. Over the long weekend I smoked a 2.7kg corned silverside up to 70. Then pulled it out and let it rest overnight. Heated up with steam the next day. As soon as I removed it from the steamer the family attacked it like a pack of wolves before I could make reuben sandwiches! It was a lot more moist than going up to 98 but not quite as tender. I wanted to do set this as a baseline. Next time round, I'll take it up to 80 with something like your set up and see where that ends up re moistness and tenderness. If better, then will take it up to 90...

Consider "Time at Temperature" (TAT) instead of Max temperature. You are wanting to break down the collagen to make it tender, but you don't want to drive all the moisture out! If you can hold it at an internal temperature of say 65-70C for three - four hours or so, the collagen will break down without taking it up to 98C, so it is nowhere near boiling temp and that means the moisture stays where it is.

Cheers
Chris