Aukie's out in full force for the Stanford v. Washington Tailgate

Aukie's Deli Meats showed up for the Stanford v. University of Washington Huskies game last weekend.  We had the barrel smoker and outdoor kitchen working in full force at the Tailgate party.  Stanford won 65-21... FEAR THE TREE!!!

Elite 8 - Great Fun!

Our Deli stand at the District 52 Little Leauge Tourney - Round of Elite 8 was a huge success and tons of fun! 

Thank you very much to the Palo Alto Little League tourney organizers for inviting us to the event this year.  Good Luck to the rest of the teams in the tournament!

2011 Little League All-Star Tournament, Palo Alto, CA

Aukie's will have the Pastrami and Corned Beef stand at the D52 Little League All-Star Tournament at Middlefield Ballpark.  We will be out there for the round of Elite 8 on July 5th and 6th.  Please be sure to stop by to grab yourself an authentic deli sandwich. 

If you say "Elite 8" when you order a sandwich, I will give you a dollar off the price of a sandwich.

Aukie's salutes Father's Day!

We are happy to provide our customers with gifts for Father's Day.  Dad, you deserve it!  Sit back, watch a ballgame, and enjoy our Pastrami...

Palo Alto Little League 2011 City Championships

Unfortunately, we are in a rain delay for the Palo Alto Little League 2011 City Championships for the Major League.  Hopefully, we will resume play soon so you can grab Pastrami sandwiches from the snack shack at Middlefield Ballpark.

Deli Summit: The Renaissance

Deli Summit: The Renaissance was at the Berkeley JCC this week, and it was a really great event.  All of the participants were really interesting, and I learned quite a bit.  I definitely feel motivated and more confident to create Aukie's small patch pastrami.  It was just fantastic to meet all the panelists:

* Peter Levitt, Saul's Restaurant and Deli, Berkeley
* Noah Bernamoff, Mile End Deli, Brooklyn
* Ken Gordon, Kenny & Zuke's Deli, Portland
* Evan Bloom, Wise Sons Deli, SF pop-up
* Moderator: Joan Nathan, Author of ten cookbooks including Jewish Cooking in America and Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times Food Arts Magazine and Tablet Magazine

Although we agreed to disagree, the spirit of community building was certainly the main theme of the gathering. 

Tikkun olam (Hebrew: תיקון עולם‎)

3oz of grass fed beef is not a Pastrami sandwich!

I do not know, but this just annoys me.. Organics, hand-crafted meat redefine Jewish delis ...What do you think?

As everyone knows Aukie's makes small batch all-natural anti-biotic free Pastrami with briskets from Harris Ranch Beef Company.  We use the finest ingredients available to us, and we promote homemade hand-crafted foods.  But, c'mon!  3oz of grass fed beef is not a Pastrami sandwich.  There is not enough marbling in the fat of a grass fed piece of beef to produce the right flavor during a nice long light smoke!  Also, grass fed beef tastes different!

Well, I am going up to Berkeley to raise hell this thursday!  3oz pastrami sandwiches seem un-american to me! 

Deli Summit: The Renaissance
The JCC of the East Bay Theater
Berkeley, CA

Better than Ever..

Things are looking better than ever as you can see from the picture below.  These two perfect pastramis are made from all-natural antibiotic free briskets from Harris Ranch in California.

Aukie's has various platter sizes for sale, and we are always available to cater your next gathering of friends.

Aukie's makes a Dentist smile

Last week, I brought sandwiches and salads to my dentist and her staff.  They wanted a treat for lunch so they asked me if I could come by with Hot Pastrami sandwiches and salads.  They were so happy and the receptionist said the sandwiches were "THE BOMB".  Here is a picture of my dentist.  She is very traditional so I was happy to see her "pearly whites" when she smiled.  I sure wish she got modern equipment and would give me novocaine when she drills...she is very traditional.

Get your Aukie's hats now!

You can now order stylish Aukie's headgear... http://www.aukies.com/hat.html

Who is Aukie?

Why are we called Aukie's Deli Meats? 
The kosher meat market, S. Blumenthal & Sons, thrived and was expanded to a larger space in 1947. Aukie loved talking with the customers. The kosher hotels and camps throughout New England became their top customers. People loved to meet at the butcher shop, and it became a central piece of the fabric in the Jewish community through the 1950s, 60s and 70s.   Learn more >>>

Palo Alto Little League Opening Day - April 2, 2011

Aukie's will have the Pastrami stand in full operation this weekend for the Palo Alto Little League opening day.  We will be serving Pastrami, Corned Beef and Turkey sandwiches with free pickles.  We will have melted swiss and Reubens as available options for your sandwich.  Our stand will be right next to the snack shack behind the backstop at Middlefield Ballpark.  Be sure you stop by to enjoy your opening day with a Hot Pastrami sandwich. 
Best of luck to all the teams and kids who are competing this year!

Braving the elements

Last weekend, I catered a film wrap party for a movie being shot at Half Moon Bay, California.  It was further proof that I can set up "shop" to serve my Pastrami in any corner of the world.  I found a spot right on the beach that was out of the wind, and started up my stove to sling Pastrami, Corned Beef and Turkey sandwiches.  Of course, I offered melted swiss, reubens and pickles. 

The best part of this event, besides being on the beach in Northern California, were the fresh salads that I made for the cast.  Aukie's presented "Primanti Brothers" style cole slaw, vegan(tofu bacon) german potato salad, greek salad with feta cheese, and a roasted squash vegetable salad all to rave reviews.  It was a really fun day, and I think the entire cast left a few pounds heavier!

Injecting flavor??

So, last week, I smoked a few briskets before I let them cure long enough.  You could tell that there was a drop in the Pastrami flavor in the final product.  The meat tasted too "beefy" not "pastrami" enough.  I realized that I need to let the briskets cure for at least 3 weeks for all the flavors to penetrate the meat.

The large commercial pastrami makers inject their product with Pastrami flavor.  They do not even cure the meats or smoke them.. just inject and bak'em.  So i figured that I can play with needles too.

The question is how do you make Pastrami flavor that it injectable?  I tried a few "preparations" but the flavor was not really right.  The closest thing I could come up with is just a simple solution of beef stock, peppercorns, garlic cloves, and coriander seeds.  Once I reduced this down then strained it, there was a good flavor I thought I could inject into the meat. 

The problem with injecting is that pockets of "juice" can make the flavor uneven.  You get pools of solution throughout the meat, it is hard to disperse the juice evenly. 

I am not crazy about this injecting stuff.  I will bet you that "Moishe and Schmegegee" were not sitting in an ice cooled basement on Ludlow Street circa 1905 injecting meats with flavor "enhancers".  They rubbed the meat with the curing spices and let them sit in a cool place for a looooong time!  Injecting flavor freaks me out and is even more disconcerting knowing that this his how the commercial Pastrami makers create their product. 

The flavor just has to be better when the meat is given a heavy coat of curing spice and let to sit for a good long time.  I am gonna stick to the old fashioned method, but I thought I should try the injecting process on a few pieces of brisket. 

I got the injected meat in the fridge now, and we will try them out in a week.  Stayed tuned...

A new weapon in my Arsenal

I have found the game changer for Aukie's, but first... THE GUNNERS WERE ROBBED IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE today!!  I referee soccer games for an adult indoor soccer league so I have sympathy for refs.  However, the Red Card on Van Persie in today's game against Barcelona was simply a horrible call.  It ruined the game, and changed everything in favor of Barcelona.

 

Now back to Aukie's Pastrami... the Hillsborough Little League opening day was a blast!  We sold about 40 sandwiches to rave reviews.  It was a really a nice crowd and a fun time in beautiful weather.  In fact, Aukie's Pastrami is coming out better than ever, and it was so nice to hear the positive feedback. 

I love my big handmade 55 gallon smoker, and I will certainly continue to use it at the right events.  However,  I purchased an electric smoker that allows me to regulate temperatures and cooking times much better while still generating a good quality all natural hardwood smoke.  I can now produce Pastrami "on demand" so I my inventory of meat is easier to control.   It really is a GAME CHANGER!  (Just like a red card at critical time in the final leg of a Champions League match.) 

Hillsborough Little League Opening Day

Aukie's will have a Pastrami sandwich stand at the Hillsborough Little League Opening Day on Saturday, March 5th.  Stay tuned for more information.

Super Bowl Batch!

Just finished a great batch of Pastrami.  Found a good local spot to do the smoking thanks to the town of Menlo Park.  Whichever team you want to win the Super Bowl, just make sure you get a nice sandwich and a good brew!  Kick back and have some fun on Super Sunday!

National Hot Pastrami Day - January 14, 2011

Aukie's is proud to recognize National Hot Pastrami Day!  I will be smoking a new batch of  Brisket and Turkey Pastrami this weekend.  I have let these babies cure for a good 2+ weeks and I am really excited for the final product.

Once I have the vacuum sealed packs ready for sale, I will post availability on the website(http://www.aukies.com/), and I will contact my regular crew of fans!

In the meantime, I think we are stuck with Togo's unless you take a ride over to The Refuge in San Carlos or up to SF for a chance to experience Moishe's Pippic Inc.