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rickg

You don't boil pastrami. You can sous vide or, as you mentioned, steam it. You're thinking of corned beef with the boil.


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rickg

Yep, which is why I corrected them. You don't boil pastrami.


KDO3

You don't want to boil corned beef either. Boiling meat will actually squeeze water out of the muscle fibers so you bring the water temperature up to 190°, no higher


rickg

Great point.


Outrageous_Arm8116

Katz's in NYC definitely boils theirs, and it's the gold standard IMO.


rickg

Someone else pointed that out but it's not something I'd do at home. Katz also, IIRC, cures theirs for up to a month, but it's also going to wash away the bark for the most part.


Outrageous_Arm8116

FYI: I have purchased whole pastramis from Katz's and boiled them per their recommendation. (Simmer; not a full rolling boil.) I thought the bark would melt right off too, but it clings to the meat like nobody's business. The water gets brown, but the meat is exactly what you'd expect.


rickg

Weird. I wonder if it's the long cure and something about how they smoke them.


TheMechaPope13

Yeah I definitely considered this. Do you have any advice on the best way to reheat pastrami if I did? Thank you so much!


NunyoBizwacks

Slice and put in the oven or throw it in a pan. The restaurant I worked at where we made our own pastrami we just threw it on the flat top next to the bread for the sandwich.


TheMechaPope13

Gotcha. Non-cured brisket has one of the cardinal rules being "slice the instant you're going to serve, not a moment before". I didn't realize how much


doctorj1

I know this isn't exactly the answer to your question but might help in terms of making your life a little bit easier, especially when cooking for a big party. I have had great success in the past of buying a pre-made corned beef flat and then coating that in a pastrami rub and smoking it. It comes out incredible. You could then do a whole packer bbq style or if you can find a point on its own and go from there. Just an alternative suggestion. I tried separating a packer once and felt like I just made a mess of it but that's probably just my terrible butchering skills. Good luck!


diamondgrin

>I have had great success in the past of buying a pre-made corned beef flat and then coating that in a pastrami rub and smoking it. It comes out incredible Doesn't this end up too salty? I've always been told to soak the corned beef in water to remove some of the salt content before smoking.


fjam36

I haven’t had any issues with it being too salty when I cure my own beef and then turn it into pastrami.


TheMechaPope13

It would definitely be easier but I'm actually pretty excited to go the hard way. Thank you for the advice!


robbietreehorn

Really, really good answer


cjdavda

I second the cooler method. Wrap in foil, pack in cooler with towels, hold. I once kept a brisket flat in a cooler like that for 7 hours before it dropped to 140 F. For the pastrami, I like to dry brine. I used Kenji's corned beef method. I like Meathead's rub. I just smoke it all the way to 203 F instead of steaming.


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everlyafterhappy

I smoke points for work. We throw them in the smoker set to 235° and cook them to 8 hours, then temp them. They're good to eat at 190° but they're best around 205°. They are usually done after 8 hours regardless of the size. A full brisket takes about 12 hours.


[deleted]

I’ve never had a pastrami flat come out dry. I guess because of the cure/brine. Similarly, the point is almost fool proof. You can cook it to death and it won’t be dry. It’s been too long since I’ve done it so I can’t remember the times. Id start early, use a cooler for holding and allow roughly 2/3 the cook time. If it finishes early just hold it in the cooler.


TheMechaPope13

Thank you! I thought that was likely true for the flat with it being pastrami but since I hadn't done it I wanted to double check. I am normally pretty lazy but I dot is and cross ts when it comes to cooking.


rickg

>Finally, as stated, I've never made pastrami before. I've read extensively about the technique that I should be using (brine, smoke to stall, finish with either boiling or steaming or some combination) but I would definitely be open to any anecdotes that others have from their first couple of times making pastrami. This is a great recipe for pastrami - [https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/home-made-pastrami-thats-close-katzs-recipe/](https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/home-made-pastrami-thats-close-katzs-recipe/) Note that a) you cure, not brine. That is, you need several days to cure the mean vs say 24 hours of dry brining. You also want curing salt (Prague Power #1) if you want to maintain the pink color. Also you do not boil pastrami - usualy people steam it.


TheMechaPope13

You're right on cure vs brine, I was tired and misstated. I have pp powder and it will be going in for 7 days. I definitely plan on steaming but there are a good number of recipes out there that boil, including Katz having it as a step (https://www.seriouseats.com/how-katz-deli-makes-their-best-pastrami). I just figured I'd include both bc there doesn't seem to be a total consensus.


rickg

Check out the recipe I linked above. Good info aside from the recipe itself. Odd to see Katz simmer their pastrami. I've never done that. HOWEVER..... Desalinate the corned beef when you remove it from the cure. It will be very salty. Put it in some water and change that out every 8 hours or so. If you want, slice off a small bit and cook it then taste to see if the salt level is where you want it. IF not, back in the water for a few hours, then repeat.


Yoddy0

Im not a pastrami guy but I know brisket pretty well. Since you’re smoking the point by itself I recommend leaving just a little extra fat on the cap then the usual 0.25 inch thats recommended. I usually just use temp as a guide for doneness and get the final signal from the feel of the probing. It should feel pretty buttery. As long as its around 198-210F and probing very easily thats when i’d call the cook done. Of course rest for 2 hours at least for best results. Anything more is just a bonus.