Turned a few corned beefs into pastrami. Made sammiches. Sliced paper thin on the meat slicer, homemade pickles, locally made dijon mustard and marble rye, aged provolone from the local cheese house. Gyatdamn!!!
Pastrami!
- Thread starter Quiganomics
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I've done a few. I prefer it thickly sliced, but thick or thin; there is nothing like homemade pastrami. Good looking fries as well
I hope we see some here in AZ.
I saw CheerWine the other day locally, had to grab some. Haven’t seen it since my trip to GA
Total Wine has sodas from around the country; Moxie, Ale8One etc. that are pretty regionally limited.
Oh we do have those here. I’ll have to go check it out.
I’ve pretty much cut out the ethanol from my diet, but soda is still a “work in progress”
Katz deli NYC has some of the best in the world, will set you back $33 though.
Yes. And they use the appropriate cut of meat. The "Navel" cut, not "brisket" (which produces corned beef).
$33? When I was there last, each one was like $16.00. I had ordered two to go.
As it turns out, I do have a slicer, but not for Pastrami, since I can't seem to find it in "bulk." I use it for Turkey, since I can buy a whole Turkey Breast at Costco. I try to get Wally World to try and sell me a complete packaged Turkey breast mound. but they've kvetched about it lately... only wanting to sell me "slices." I hate their slices because they're way too thin, Their mindset is to sell "more" thinner slices for the same weight. If Boar's Head (for example), were to sell directly to retail consumers (via a website), I'd do that in a heartbeat. But they don't/won't. I gather to satisfy their wholesale customers like Wally World and the other grocers.
My Slicer -
Chef's Choice 615a slicer. Available on Amazon
The problem with "thin" slices is that they fall apart when you try to roll them up with a slice of swiss or something, They're hard to bite into like that. I'd prefer them a little thicker.
A good 'professional' quality slicer sure makes a difference when it comes to charcuterie. It's worth the investment.
The day after st Patrick’s day…. Score!!!
It is one of the best. It is amazing in person. I buy their whole pastrami (4-5 pounds) at times since it is way cheaper per pound than buying a 1-pound package.
So my recipie is not necessarily for corned beef or pastrami... (Pastrami is usually smoked vs. corned beef boiled) but here is how I prepare corned beef for reubens and sandwiches...
Start with store bought corned beef (see above.) I stock up right after St. Paddy's day when it goes on sale dirt cheap. Because I'm not going to pay $37 for a corned beef! But when I can buy one for $11 the day after St. Paddy's day, now we are talking!
I use a combination of grill and crock pot. Start by opening the bag and pouring all the 'juice' into the crock pot. Then take the brisket out and lightly wash it to get the juice into the crock pot. All about saving the juice! Open spice package and pour into the crock pot.
I take the 'washed' brisket and put it on my grille on high long enough to char it. Few minutes a side. Not trying to cook it. Just to put a bit of a char on the outside. Can do this in a hot cast iron pan as well... but have the vent hood on high!
Once charred, I 'might' rub some additional spices on it. Sometimes something like blackening rub. But usually I leave it alone.
Then into the Crock pot on low for about 4 hours until is lightly boiling. Leave another hour or so. Then slice to whatever thickness you want. I like it a bit thicker. Serve on rye bread with sauerkraut, cheese and Russian dressing. And lots of cheap yellow mustard. Definitely cheap yellow mustard. None of that fancy stuff. Serve with a big dill and fries or potato chips. Some like it with beer... but nothing better as far as I am concerned than a 'real' cherry Coke. That's not the shit you get in a can. But coke with real cherry syrup. Good old deli stuff!
It's probably not pure... but when I was a kid and we used to go to hockey games up in Montreal, there was a place called Ben's Delicatessan. We'd get to eat old fashioned Montreal Smoked Meat. Sometimes after the games, the players would be there, which was cool for a kid! Ben's is Gone now... last time I ate there was in 2001. It dated back to the early 1900's and was just awesome! Been to most of the places in NY one time or another. Katz's. The (now gone) Carnegie Deli. But nothing compared even close to Bens! Well, times change... Fuckers bulldozed it after the unions shut it down. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bens_De_Luxe_Delicatessen_&_Restaurant
Anyway, my home-made is nowhere near as good. But still a reuben or corned beef on rye is the best there is on a cold night!!! Ultimate comfort food!!!! You used to be able to buy Canadian smoked meat in little 'boil in package' packs at the grocery stores up here. No more... probably gone too! When I'd come home to VT when living 'away' I'd buy a ton of them and bring back. Ummmmmmmm smoked meat sammiches!
Cheers,
Sirhr
Not really. I do pop-ups at farmer's markets and guest chef at local joints.
This is what I use for a rub as well. it is tasty. Whether it is what Katz does is unknown.
The method given is not how Katz does it. I have tried it, and it does not produce the same level of pastrami available at Katz. They explained it to me at a high level on one of my many visits. First, they brine it for several weeks. After brining, they apply the rub. Then they smoke the meat for a LONG period. I believe that smoking is less about cooking than it is about giving the meat the right flavor. I believe that they use a cold smoke process because it takes days. They may use electric smokers. They then boil the smoked meat to cook it. Then, they steam it behind the counter before cutting and serving.
I have not tried to replicate this at home yet, but it has always intrigued me.
I've been making my own corned beef for years. I always lop off a hunk and make pastrami. I have the corned beef down pat, but pastrami is an ongoing experiment. It doesn't suck, but I haven't yet perfected it.
Of course they use Brisket for Corned Beef.... just not Pastrami.... Just to clarify.
This method is very similar to what I do here, at our house. And yes, we do start with our own 'base spice blend' as opposed to purchased package. Then the brisket is 'wet brined' for a few weeks in a sealed bag. It is kept in the refrigerator, and taken out, mixed/sloshed around, then flipped over each day.
And yes, we too 'cold smoke' ours, when we make the pastrami. (corned beef is boiled) We have never had a complaint about our stuff.
But there is more that goes into that 'wet brine', I can say that for sure.
If you're ever looking for sodas that you are not geographically located for, check different Ace Hardware stores or ranch supply stores. I can find Cheerwine in an Ace near me along with Cicero Beverage stuff from Chicago. I can get Abita root beer (from Louisiana) in Cal Ranch. For awhile there my local grocery store (non chain) had Boots (from Texas) coconut cream. This is all in Utah.
Hi Sean,
The obvious questions
- When you cold smoke, is it at a given temperature? I have heard 170 to 180 F.
- Do you cold smoke it for a long period? Katz said for 2-3 days. To me, that implies an electric smoker. They aren't tending wood chips in NYC for certain
- Do you boil after the smoke process?
- I have never wet-brined meat for that long. Is there anything different in terms of salt proportions or types of salt used?
The precise video to show. Actually Alan Dell's son Jake (middle) now runs the business.
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Greetings Nik,
1) When cold-smoking (for me) it is at a given temperature 'range'. I do such at 95 to 110 degrees F.
2B) This particular one is an electric heat source, and I use both chips and chunks. To go a step further, I always aim to create my own chips and chunks, as opposed to 'purchasing packages' because so much of that/them/those are simply Alder and other 'waste woods' with some "flavoured" chips salted/mixed into the packaging. --If you actually want specific flavours, then one must actually use specific ingredients.
3) No, I don't 'boil' after the smoke process. The general rule-of-thumb is when the brined brisket is boiled, it is 'corned beef' whereas when it is smoked then it is pastrami. (not getting into the specific cuts of meat and such, these are rabbit-holes that equal the 9mm vs. .45 ACP debate) I will add though, when I actually DO want to process something at a higher heat for X amount of time, I'll either fire up the Hot Smoker (propane heat source) OR I'll seal the item(s) in vacuum bags and then Sous-Vide them. This way, all the goodness is not boiled/washed away, and everything is cooked in it's own juices.
4) The wet-brining process IS different, in both the spice blend, 'salts used' AND the intended outcome. Primarily, a very small amount of Sodium Nitrite aka Pink Salt aka Prague Powder is used. (Don't confuse 'Pink Salt' with Himalayan salt....) It is the soaking, penetrating, and time that the wet brine changes the fibres of the muscle AND converts the nitrite to nitrates. It does take time for this stuff to penetrate to the center of the meat, hence the "time in the fridge". Easily a week to two weeks in the fridge. Again, turning and smooshing every day. (that's a technical term)
This is all not 'rocket-surgery', but there ARE steps to doing the above that are specific, required, and done-wrong can have VERY bad outcomes. Remember though, food preparation and charcuterie have been done for eons and eons. There are reasons why steps and procedures are in place. If ANYBODY is interested in going down this path, I both welcome y'all along for the ride, AND very hugely suggest that you research the hell out of what you're intending and aiming to do. This process can be fun and rewarding, but it's not for everyone.
Hope that helps, seriously.
And for anyone who's interested in diving further into the smoking world, I honestly suggest starting with studying the "fire sciences" and such. Not so that you can learn to be an arsonist, but so that you can learn that there is "so much more" to fire than a place to stare at and cook weenies.
There are certain precautions that need to be addressed, too. IE a well functioning smoker is also a fire-hazard. Go too far to an extreme, and you can have flash-over. Those are NOT fun, and everything you've spent so much time doing, is now garbage and you start over. After a few days/nights of getting up and checking the chip-pan every 4 hours (like clockwork).... the last thing you want to do on the last day, is toss everything and start over. HUGE waste of time, food, and effort.
I thank you very much, Sean!
The Sous Vide angle is something I did not consider but one that I will try.
Quoted that post.Decided there needed to be some of the food threads in here. Fighting over who is better. The mil/moa, 9mm vs 45 of food. I think I got the right threads for these. If you can think of a better one or a different foods fight post it.
BBQ (active)
BBQ comes from North Carolina and Brisket comes from Texas
Brisket is amazingly awesome, too. But it's not BBQ. Ok... I need to reinforce my bunker... Sirhrwww.snipershide.com
CFS
At my wits end... need some help from my Fellow 'Hiders. Chicken Fried Steak!
Ok... so I love Chicken Fried Steak. If it's on the menu, I am ordering it. The ONLY reason I ever go to a Cracker Barrel is because they have a decent Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy. For the life of me I cannot make it at home... and failed again tonite. Yuck, still tastes like frying oil...
Chicken sandwich
Chick-fil-a is garbage. Change my mind.
And I'm not even going to bring their faggot cuck of a bitch ass CEO who I would simply walk by, punch in the dick, and keep walking, if I ever saw. All fast food, and most restaurant food is just fucking awful in general; but Chick Fil A is just fucking garbage. That chicken sandwich, their...
Fried chicken
The Official He-man Chicken Lovers Club. No Masks Allowed!
Mask gay, chicken good!
Tacos
You can all just stop saying 'soft shell' taco
Because if it has a soft shell, its a fucking burrito. Enough of this transgendering food bullshit; if it has a hard crunchy shell, its a fucking taco. If its wrapped in something soft, its a fucking burrito. End of story. Taco 'filler' in a soft wrap? Burrito. Just stop. Fight me...
Eggnog
Eggnog snobs
Title says it all. My vote is an emphatic yes. Homemade, store bought, plain, spiked with some sort of alcohol, I don’t care. I love it. No matter your choice, enjoy a bit by Dave Attell about the best thing about the holidays
Chili
Physical Fitness - FACT: Chilli without beans ain’t Chilli !!!!
AOC-luvin’ Harris/Biden votin’ MRAD-shootin’ Commie Nazicrats eat something without beans and call it “Chilli.” Fight me.
Cornbread
Pastrami
Pastrami!
Turned a few corned beefs into pastrami. Made sammiches. Sliced paper thin on the meat slicer, homemade pickles, locally made dijon mustard and marble rye, aged provolone from the local cheese house. Gyatdamn!!!
Wow, that pastrami sandwich looks unreal! The combo of homemade pickles, Dijon mustard, and aged provolone is next level. I'm trying to manage my diabetes, I buy Ozempic online and do exercise daily, so I’ll have to make this a rare treat, but man, it’s hard to resist something this good.
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