From my buds Wiv & Ackerman a while back.
Bill Ackerman
BBQ List
5/5/03
Smoked Corned Beef Point (Commerical)
Moving target. For the last corned point I did:
1. Soak for 48 hours
2. Rinse and dry
3. Apply mustard coat
4. Cover coarsely with ground peppercorns and coriander (2/1 ratio) and
garlic powder
5. Smoke at ~250F for 12 hours until fork tender
6. Wrap in foil, place in ziploc and refrigerate overnight
7. Gently heat the next day in broth till 165F internal
8. Slice thickly
The only changes I'd make is to try to get more garlic flavor . Perhaps next
time I'll make a garlic puree and add it to the mustard before applying.
Regards,
Bill Ackerman
=x=x=x
Gary,
Yes, wrap hot off the smoker as soon as it's fork tender. You're gonna love
it.
I'm also having trouble resisting the urge to stuff food into my mouth.
Tonight is the annual "Taste of Santa Fe" where all of the best eateries in
town cook up one of their best dishes and serve it to awaiting hordes at the
convention center. Kinda of like strolling through the aisles at Costco
eating free samples, except this food is really great and you don't need
Rolaids to put out the chemical conflagration caused by mixing all that junk
up in your stomach. Well, maybe I should take Rolaids with me in case I
overdo it (moi?).
Hope your pastrami comes out good. Don't forget to put it on Wonderbread
with mayo and sprouts <g>.
Regards,
Bill Ackerman
=x=x=x=x=x
Gary,
Store bought corned beef points get 2/1 pepper/coriander. When I used to
cure whole untrimmed briskets (never again, not as long as I can get corned
points), I added garlic juice to the cure. Never tried onion or chile
powder. I guess if wanted any kind of heat or spiciness, I would use a
horseradish mustard on the sandwich.
I've been thinking about the NYT article on pastrami and why I think our
modest efforts are actually better than much of the vaunted NYC deli stuff.
Have you noticed how much the point shrinks after the smoking, even more
than when smoking a whole brisket? I smoke mine somewhat longer than you do,
so you might not observe as much shrinkage. I haven't measured, but I would
guess the volume shrinks by over 60%. Wouldn't it be cool to watch a
time-elapse movie of a point being smoked?
Anyway, I think perhaps many of the pastrami mass producers in NYC try to
minimize shrinkage to maximize yield. I think the shrinkage contributes to
the density of those smells and tastes that drive us crazy. What do you
think?
Regards,
Bill Ackerman
=xx=x=x=x
Roy,
I agree that right out of pit is great. But for me, pastrami sandwiches are
lunch food, and given the 11-12 hour smoking time, I'd have to tend the pit
all night. So I smoke it the day before and reheat the next day right before
lunch. OK?
Bill Ackerman