Quick question on Len poli's pastrami recipe

[shanew]

http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Pastrami.pdf

Just a clarification, i wont be pumping to meat, just immersion.
My brisket is 3kg in weight, would i get away with this recipe as is or should i scale it up? is it's a brine i'd have thought it would be fine but want to check first. obviously it'll take longer and the coating will need increasing.

Cheers,
Shane.

[DanMcG]

I'm rusty at immersion cures but I come up with 67ppm nitrite with 6.25% cure...You might want to wait until someone else runs the numbers but thats pretty low, IMHO

[wheels]

With 40gm of 6.25% nitrite cure #1, in a total soluble brine of 2665gm, pumped at 15%, I get the nitrite PPM at 141PPM.

With the same brine used as an immersion cure, for the same 2270gm brisket as in the recipe, immersed for the 10 days specified, I'd estimate the nitrite to be 344PPM (based on NCPaul's test results).

HTH

Phil

[DanMcG]

Like I said I'm rusty at this so please tell me where I went wrong.
I used this formula. method #1 from the USDA FSIS

lb nitrite × % pick-up × 1,000,000 = ppm
lb pickle

and came up with 92 ppm (with 6.25% nitrite and 10% intake.)

[wheels]

You calculation is correct for what you've specified Dan.

However, the recipe is a 15% pump (not 10%), or immersion. The OP said:

Just a clarification, i wont be pumping to meat, just immersion.

So I also calculated it using the FSIS equilibrium method. Following the tests that NCPaul did, many of us think that the equilibrium method is the most appropriate with pieces of meat the size in the recipe as long as allowance is made for the length of time per kg in the brine. In this case, the cure time of 10 days for the immersion cure, equates to 4 days per kg meat. NCPauls test results lead me to believe that it will be around 68% of the way towards equilibrium by then.

The equilibrium calculation is:

lb nitrite x 1,000,000
meat + brine weight

In this case 40gm cure / 6.25% = 2.5 x 1000000 = 2500000

meat 2270gm + total brine 2665gm = 4935

2500000 / 4935 = 506PPM (at equilibrium)

NCPaul's tests (after full number crunching) show that, at 4 days per kg, the meat will be 68% towards equilibrium, so:

506 * 68% = 344PPM for the immersion cure.

HTH

Phil

[DanMcG]

thank you for the explanation Phil

[captain wassname]

Going by the recipe it would seem that the cure is just for colour in which case either a shorter time in the brine or less cure or a combination of both.Or even less brine.(Im beginning to remember why ive given up on brining)
Phils figures are as per recipe but OP is using 3kg of beef which will give a slightly reduced amount of nitrite in finished product.

Jim

[NCPaul]

Im beginning to remember why ive given up on brining

Ditto.

[wheels]

Tut, tut, no staying power some people!

Embrace the immersion!

[captain wassname]

I was immersed as a child but have now set my face against Immersion in all its forms.


Jim

[wheels]

[shanew]

Cheers for the interest chaps,
Im just as confused

Since I dont have a pump it has to be immersion so could some kind person
tell me what I need to brine my beef.

Cheers

[captain wassname]

Its a bit of guesswork really but halve the cure and go with 10-12 days.
If it is your intention to cook immediately after curing and then eat quickly or freeze you should get enough nitrite in to colour your meat.
The reason for pumping is that you can precisely measure what goes in.
Incidentally a 15% pump is very difficult to achieve in my experience .
Its a case of "if I were going there I wouldnt start from here"
Hopefully others will check and give you more precise figures.

Jim

[shanew]

Cheers,
I'll see what the verdict is this evening. Im sure the nitrate is just to impart a little flavour and fix the colour. I'll be cooked and smoked at the end of curing so it's not being cured to preserve

[captain wassname]

In that case you should be OK.

Jim