Len Poli Pastrami, is this correct?
Posted:
Sun Dec 15, 2013 4:35 pmby ped
Was considering doing Len Poli's Pastrami recipe:
http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/Pastrami.pdfbut am quite concerned at the amount (%) of cure#1 in the recipe, is it correct do you think?, I know it is a brine recipe but he does also suggest pumping 15% of the brine.
Re: Len Poli Pastrami, is this correct?
Posted:
Sun Dec 15, 2013 4:46 pmby wheels
At 15% pump, I make it around 140PPM (mg/kg) Nitrite from the pump. So no problem - other than trying to pump to 115% of the initial meat weight will be a right cow. A 10% pump's bad enough when you're not using commercial kit, let alone 15%. The alternative that Len Poli offers - immersion brining for 10 days - looks a bit nitrite heavy IMO.
Phil
Re: Len Poli Pastrami, is this correct?
Posted:
Sun Dec 15, 2013 11:23 pmby vagreys
The immersion cure is the more traditional method, as it evolved in New York. Pastrami was originally made with the plate rather than the brisket, but it has evolved to the lean half of the brisket as meat cutting practices have changed. If you can get the plate to work with, it's a real treat. Injection helps ensure an even distribution of the cure and is more efficient. When I look at a recipe, I always recalculate cure and curing rates and adjust the recipe for that, rather than taking the print at face value without checking.