Pastrami in Singapore

[AMGBOW303]

Greetings from Singapore,

Good morning everyone.  I just ordered a nice Wagyu brisket point that I plan to turn into pastrami.  I am fishing for opinions on dry vs wet curing and any crowd-pleasing recipes anyone is willing to share please.

Much appreciated.

Adam

 

[Poochie]

I've never made pastrami but I thought you would use the flat to make it since it's so lean.   Did you order it from SRF?  Anyway, enlighten us on the process you decide to use. 

[tony b]

Normally,  I cheat and start with a pre-brined corned beef from the market. Soak it overnight in cold water to knock down some of the saltiness. Pat dry and rub liberally with dry rub of coarse black pepper, crushed coriander seeds, hot pepper flakes and celery seeds.  Hot smoke with hickory and post oak.

Since you're starting from scratch, I'd recommend a standard wet brine with whole black peppercorns, juniper berries, red pepper flakes and bay leaves. Brine in the fridge for a week,  then proceed as described above. 

Good luck and post pics!

Edited November 13, 2021 by tony b

[AMGBOW303]

Thanks. I am using a Blackmore Wagyu (https://blackmorewagyu.com/) from Australia that I picked up from Shaun at The Butcher Box (https://butcherbox.com.sg/) in Joo Chiat.  I used the point only because I wanted a smaller piece of meat for my first experiment curing a pricey cut of brisket.  I went with a dry cure.  It will cure for 7 days, rest for 2 and then I will smoke it on the KK23 with some hickory to 165.  I will share the results in about 10 days.

[AMGBOW303]

The pastrami turned out excellent.

Here is the recipe and photos:

Dry Curing Rub

Brisket
1 teaspoon curing salt for every 5lbs of brisket
2 Tbsp whole black peppercorns (crushed)
2 Tbsp course black pepper
1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds (crushed)
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp paprika
½ Tbsp mustard seeds (crushed)
½ Tbsp fennel seeds (crushed)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
½ tsp mustard powder

DAY 1:  
Mix the curing powder and rub brisket thoroughly.  Place in a Ziplock or vacuum sealed bag.  Place in refrigerator.

DAYS 2-6:
Turn the bag over every morning.

Day 7:
Remove from bag and rinse brisket thoroughly with cold water.  Soak in cold water for 3 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes.  Use the rub recipe above WITHOUT THE CURING SALT, and rub the brisket thoroughly.  Pat dry and place uncovered on drying rack in refrigerator for two days to rest/dry.

Day 9:
Smoke on KK at 200-225f to an internal temp of 165f.  Hickory is great, but other woods are too.  Let the brisket cool for an hour and them place it back on the cooling rack in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 10:
Slice/portion/eat
 

[tekobo]

That looks delicious.  Thank you for posting the recipe.