Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell
Does anyone have a good recipe for pastrami? I know it's smoked corned beef, but that's about all I know.  |
They are very similiar, it's mainly just some differences in the curing spices and preperation.
These are both good places to start:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/pastrami.html
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/cornedbeef.html
I've done both and if you go the prepackaged corned beef method, I will say that to me, it really didn't make that much of a noticeable difference in flavor if I used the one with the spices in the brine or the spices in the packet, but what did make a big difference was getting one that is USDA Choice versus USDA Select. Wash it for at least 4 times longer than what they recommend (I would soak/wash overnight - otherwise it ends up tasting like a nitrate salt lick).
Oh, and some mustard seed and ground juniper berries in the rub will really turn things up a notch.
PS: TenderQuick is damned near impossible to find out here, only place you might find it is a restaurant supply. You can just salt cure the brisket, but that takes weeks. Packed in a vacuum sealer bag with the brine though that might not be that big of a problem - having a semi-open container of brine and meat in a home refrigerator for weeks is a PITA.