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Barbecue (alt.food.barbecue) Discuss barbecue and grilling--southern style "low and slow" smoking of ribs, shoulders and briskets, as well as direct heat grilling of everything from burgers to salmon to vegetables. |
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Pastrami history and 4 recipes
http://www.forward.com/issues/2001/01.02.23/fast2.html
snip Pastrami actually originated in Turkey, with a pungent, leathery form of air-dried meat called basterma. It was in nearby Romania, however, where the basic idea of spicing and drying meat was adapted by Jewish butchers and turned into the exquisitely tender, peppery, garlicky delicacy we now recognize as pastrami. In conformity with kosher laws, the meat for pastrami is taken from the forequarters of the steer; the cuts most often used are the brisket or the somewhat fattier section just behind the brisket, known as the plate. The process of making pastrami begins by curing the meat, ideally with what is called a "dry" cure, in which the meat is rubbed with salt, sugar, spices and preservatives and placed in barrels to sit for up to three weeks. (The wet cure soaks the meat in a brine solution, which requires less time but causes the meat to lose some of its firmness.) After curing, the meat is coated with a mixture of spices - the composition of the mixture varies from place to place, but it usually includes garlic, black pepper, salt and coriander - and then smoked for several hours. After smoking, the meat is steamed for several hours more, which both finishes the cooking and keeps the meat hot until it is sliced (best done by hand) and piled high, one hopes, between two slices of good rye bread slathered with spicy brown mustard. The knowledge of how to prepare pastrami came to America with the Jewish immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As Eastern European Jewish immigrants began to take over the delicatessen trade from the German immigrants of earlier generations, pastrami became a deli staple and, as much as bagels or egg creams, a quintessential part of New York gastronomic lore. snip Pastrami No.1 About 4 pounds beef flanken or brisket 1/2 cup coarse (kosher) salt 2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, coarsely cracked With a trussing needle or a large darning needle threaded with twine, take a stitch through the narrow end of the meat, Bring out both ends of the string and make a loop about 3 inches long for hanging. Mix together thoroughly the salt, brown sugar, ginger, pepper, garlic, and coriander. Rub the mixture into every part of the meat's surface, massaging it well and coating it evenly. Wrap the meat in aluminum) foil and then enclose it in a plastic bag. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 days, turning the package daily or as often as you think of it. Remove the seasoned meat from the package, patting onto it any seasonings that may have fallen off. Hang it by its cord loop in a cool, breezy spot (70 degrees or less is ideal) or in front of an electric fan; let dry for 24 hours. Remove the shelves from the smoker, hang an oven thermometer in it, and preheat it following the manufacturer's instructions (or, lacking instructions, preheat for 45 minutes), adding a painful of presoaked hickory or other hardwood chips (see page 31) after about 30 minutes. When smoke begins to emerge from the vent, hang the pastrami in the smoker, close the door, and smoke steadily for from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the heat your smoker produces (2 hours will be enough if the temperature is as high as 150 degrees) and the degree of smokiness you like; smoke the longer time if the temperature inside the smoker is in the 100- to 120-degree range. Cool the pastrami, then wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 or 3 days before cooking. To cook: Cover the pastrami with a generous amount of cold water and simmer very gently until completely tender, at least 2 hours; the exact time will depend on the thickness of the meat. Cool partially in the cooking water, then either serve at once or drain, cool, and refrigerate, wrapped. To reheat cooked pastrami, slice thin (cut on the bias slightly as you would flank steak) and steam briefly until hot through PASTRAMI NO.2 Corned Beef or Pastrami Brine =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3 D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D The brine for pastrami must be cooked to bring out the flavor of the picking spice. 1 gallon water 2 cups kosher salt 1 cup sugar 1/4 picking spice 1 tablespoon granulated garlic 2 tablespoons peppercorns 8 bay leaves 4 ounces curing salt (sodium nitrite), optional In a 2-gallon non-aluminum pot, combine the water, salt, sugar, pickling spice, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and curing salt (if used). (why didn't they just say combine all ingredients?) Bring to a boil and stir until salts and sugar are dissolved. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. This can be done ahead of time. Add meat as described for pastrami. Note: Pickling spice can be purchased just about any place that has a good overall spice selection. I got mine at my local Safeway supermarket. It is a combination of the following: allspice, mustard seed, whole cloves, cinnamon, coriander seed, ginger, whole black pepper, dill seed, chiles, bay leaf, and cardamon. Pastrami =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Transplanted New Yorkers take heart: With very little trouble you can make your own pastrami! For this method of smoking you don't need to include the nitrite in the cure. The pastrami will have a gray appearance, but the color will not affect the flavor. ( I do include the nitrite, I like the more traditional color) 1 to 2 recipes Corned Beef or Pastrami Brine 2 trimmed beef briskets (6 to 8lbs each) or 4 beef plates (3 to 4lbs each) 2 cups cracked coriander seed 1 cup cracked peppercorns 1=2E Place meat in a non-aluminum container and cover with brine. Weight down with a heavy plate so that it stays submerged. Place container in refrigerator and cure for 4 days. At this point overhaul the brine (see page 52). >From page 52: To do this, remove meat. Stir brine, making sure that undissolved particles dissolve. Replace meat and weigh down with a heavy plate. Continue to cure for 3 to 4 more days or until cure has penetrated the center of the meat. Remove meat, wash, and drain. Combine coriander and pepper and rub all over meat. 2=2E Prepare water smoker for smoke cooking. Use only 30 briquettes to begin so that the temperature in the smoker does not exceed 200 'F. Use 5 to 8 wood chunks or 1 1/2 quarts soaked wood chips. Place meat on both racks of smoker and cover, and smoke cook until internal temperature of meat is 120 'F to 130 'F (3 to 4 hours of cooking). 3=2E Add enough briquettes (about 40) and 2 or 3 chunks of wood or 3 cups wood chips to the fire to build up the temperature in the smoker to between 220 'F o 250 'F. Continue to smoke cook until the internal temperature of the meat is 160 'F to 165 'F (another 3 to 4 hours of cooking). Remove meat and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers. Note: To reheat whole pastrami for sandwiches: allow pastrami to cool overnight in the refrigerator. The next day place pastrami in a Dutch oven with about 1 inch of water, 1 whole head garlic, and 2 tablespoons pickling spice. Cover pot and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender when a fork or knife is inserted. Remove meat from pot and let rest 10 minutes. Slice thin for sandwiches. Note: To reheat leftover pastrami: Cut thin slices and place on a vegetable steamer in a pot with 1 to 2 inches water in the bottom. Cover pot and steam for 1 to 2 minutes. Corned Beef =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D This was been adapted from the "Joy of Cooking" 1=2E The brine is the same as in pastrami, but don't boil the solution. Use hot water instead, but be sure all the salts have disolved. 2=2E Cure as described in pastrami. 3=2E Don't smoke it. Wash the meat well to remove all the brine. To cook, cover with boiling water and simmer about 1 hour per pound until a fork can penetrate the center. You might toss in a few cloves of garlic and some pickling spice as noted in the pastrami re-heat. 4=2E Viola, corned beef! PASTRAMI NO.3 Yield: 6 pounds (2.7 kg) 5-6 lb/2.6 kg beef silverside (in I piece) grade Good or better 4 oz/113 g salt canning or kosher I oz/28 g cracked black pepper #6 mesh 2 oz/57 g brown sugar light or dark I oz/28 g fresh ginger peeled and minced I oz/28 g fresh garlic crushed I oz/28 g ground coriander cracked black pepper #6 mesh white beef stock Trim the beef. Combine the salt, pepper, sugar, ginger, garlic, and coriander. Working on a clean, nonporous surface, rub the seasoning mixture into all surfaces of the beef. Place the beef with all the seasonings into a heavy:-duty sealable plastic bag. Expel the excess air, and carefully tie and seal the bag. Put the bag in the cooler. Rotate and lightly massage the sealed bag at least once a day for 12 days. SMOKING Preheat the smoker to 650F (180C). Adjust the dampers to wide open. Remove the beef from the plastic bag. Using a trussing needle and strong cord, provide a secure loop to hang the meat on a smoke stick. Place into the smoker Allow to air dry with no smoke for a full 24 hours. Remove the meat from the smoker and cover loosely. Set the temperature at 1'3()0F (540C) with the damperswide open. Return the meat to the smoker and hold at this setting for 2 hours. Adjust the dampers to one-half open. Monitor the temperature and raise the tempera ture gradually over the next several hours. Remove the pastrami when its internal temperature reaches 1200F (490C). Do not shower with cold water. Apply a finishing rub of cracked pepper. Cool quickly and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for 2 days before using. To cook, unwrap the chilled pastrami and place in a large quantity of white beef stock. Bring quickly to a full boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 or more hours until tender. Store the pastrami tightly wrapped and well-chilled at all times. PASTRAMI NO.4 The beef brisket should remain in the brine stored in a cold, dark place for anywhere from seven days to three weeks. You do need to regularly check on the meat and turn it to prevent spoilage. Once you have corned beef you need to rinse the meat off. If you have brined it for a long period of time, like three weeks you might want to soak it overnight in fresh water to lift some of the salt out. Now, apply a rub and place it in a smoker. The old fashioned way of preparing pastrami is to cold smoke it. This will give it a more pastrami like texture, but not that many people have the smokehouse to do this. A modern, "hot" smoker will do the trick. Smoke your brisket for about 45 minutes to an hour per pound. Keep this part in mind when selecting a brisket. A ten-pound brisket can take 10 hours to smoke. Once the meat has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees it is done. You do not need to smoke pastrami as long as you would a regular brisket. The long brining time will make the meat tender. Brine Ingredients =B7 4 quarts water =B7 1 cup kosher salt =B7 12 cloves garlic, crushed =B7 3 tablespoons pickling spices =B7 8 bay leaves =B7 1 teaspoon saltpeter (optional) Pastrami Rub PREPARATION: Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the salt and saltpeter (optional). Stir until the salt is completely disolved. Allow to cool. Stir in the garlic, pickling spices and bay leaves. The brine is now ready for use. =B7 5 tablespoons kosher salt =B7 4 tablespoons paprika =B7 3 tablespoons coriander seeds =B7 3 tablespoons brown sugar =B7 2 tablespoons black peppercorns =B7 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds =B7 1 tablespoon white peppercorns =B7 8 cloves garlic, minced PREPARATION: Combine coriander seeds, peppercorns and mustard seeds in a spice grinder. Grind coarsely. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Rub is now ready to use. It may be stored refrigerated in an airtight container Regards Mike Willsey |
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