My pastrami sucked

[Rag1]

Smoked up the brisket/pastrami yesterday and it was a disappointment.
I used Big Wheels brine which was injected into an Angus brisket and bagged in the brine for 6 days. I started out at 130* to 150* for 90 minutes, then went to 240* for a total of 5 hours (internal of 180*). I then steamed it for 2 hours.
It has a beef flavor and the flavor of the rub (very good) which makes it okay for sammys. But, it's not pastrami.
A surprise is the color. Red and gray. Yuck. Six days for a flat should have given a pickling all the way through....right?
Not happy with this run.
http://usera.imagecave.com/Rag/Pastrami/
Any thoughts?

 

[Nick Prochilo]

Looks like the injection was done evenly.

 

[wittdog]

Looks like it wasn't in the brine long enough or you didn't inject enought....it's not cured all the way.

 

[bigwheel]

Hmmmm..not sure whut happened on that one. Can't see the pic since they filter free pic sites at work. Maybe coulda used a little more TQ in the brine or a heavier injection is all I can figger on the color. Was the TQ fairly fresh? Heard it can lose its potentcy if it gets too old. At any rate sorry it didn't come out propaly.

bigwheel

 

[cleglue]

I agree with the others in that in just didn't cure enough. I've only done one and I injected the fire out of it. Don't give up just try again sometime.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r286 ... Medium.jpg

 

[oompappy]

Yep, Looks like it needed 36 to 48 hours more to cure all the way through.

 

[Damar12]

Do the same thing again if ya liked the taste, just leave it longer to cure. The gray meat says not long enough for the cure to penetrate fully. If ya don't like the flavor, try another recipe and allow it extra time to cure. I let mine go and go and go for days and days. It is always cured and good to eat, pretty too.

 

[Rag1]

I think BW's recipe has all the right seasonings.
Now, here is where I may have gone wrong......I cut the recipe in half. Then only used half of that in a zip lock for the 6 days. Would this mean the available cure was cut back too much? Next I'll try more volume of brine with a higher TQ.
I'll get this right yet :roll:

 

[wittdog]

Why not just follow the recipe
You will get it Ron...that was a pretty thick brisket as well...

 

[bigwheel]

Well 6 days ought to have flung a cure on it if it was injected profusely. Might be tempted to go up the scale a little on the TQ..maybe 3/4 cup or 1 full cup per 2 gallons of water. Just be sure to reduce the salt by the same amount as you increase the TQ if you decide to make it a little stouter.

bigwheel

 

[Rag1]

BW, your recipe has all the needed stuff IMO. Wittdog pointed out that the flat was thicker than normal. So, I think more brine time was needed and your suggestion of more TQ makes good sense. I wish there was a way to know when brining is done.

I picked up some Boars Head for comparison. The BH did not have as much beef flavor as mine. But BH did have a moist surface with a ham like texture which is nice.
I have a rule that if I can't make better than can be bought, then I buy.
I'm jacked to try again.

 

[wittdog]

Corned Beef also needs to be injected 15% of Green wt...most other things are like 10%....If I was you I would follow the recipe...and Pump that flat like.....anyway pump it up and it's thick like the other give it a few more days...