Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Ok..let's get down to bizness.  We can leave my relationship with my mother for the shrinks office, and it is time to drop the comedy schtick so we can get down to work. Time to lock in on why we are here... PASTRAMI

Today, I rubbed the briskets, and they are now in the curing fridge to sit for at least 10 days.  I could let them cure longer, but 240 hours should gives us the time we need to reach the flavor we are seeking so desperately.  Let's walk through the steps I took today to get the meat settled in for a good long curing period.

STEP 1

After letting the meat dry out for about 36 hours from the brine, they really smelled great. The texture of the meat was shiny, a bit sticky, and had that aged look about it. They were in perfect shape, and ready for the rub.

STEP 2

I mixed up the spices for my rub.. coriander, black pepper and garlic are the pillars of the Pastrami flavor. My rub is simple. It consists of coriander, black pepper, garlic, brown sugar, paprika, yellow mustard seeds, and cumin. I am curious if anyone has any ideas for additional flavors that I might try in my pastrami rub.

STEP 3

In this picture, the dried meat and spice are in a hotel pan. This is where my bear like paws can really payoff. It is time to really work that spice into the meat.

STEP 4

I really pressed those spices into the meat. I made sure the cracked pepper was interspersed throughout the whole brisket. I made sure we got a nice cover of the spice rub all over the meat. A good heavy even coverage will ensure that every centimeter of flesh is giving all its energy to the curing process.

STEP 5

Next, the rubbed brisket is put on plastic wrap, schmeared with another few dollops of minced garlic, and then cater-wrapped nice and tight. The goal here is to create a cocoon for all those flavors to drool and get nice and sloppy all over each other during the curing stage.

STEP 6

Here is an example of a nice tightly wrapped, rubbed brisket. It is ready for a long cure period. The spices will create a nice pool of flavor that the meat will suck in as it is wrapped securely in this cocoon-like package.

STEP 7

I have nice stack of six 12lb briskets in plastic cocoons that are rubbed and ready for the curing fridge. Let the slow process of curing begin! As we sleep and go about our busy lives, these briskets will mature with flavor and make their way to the next stage in the pursuit of Pastrami.

STEP 8

Locked and loaded.. my briskets are put into plastic bags just in case the cocoons leak. The little "curing" fridge which I found for free on Craigslist is full of meat now. These Briskets are curing. They are now on their slow 240 hour march to the next stage in the Pastrami process. It's kind of like the different stages in the tour de france.. it should be called the "tour de flavor".

Now that the briskets are tucked away and curing in their plastic wrap cocoons, I can sit back and watch some good old biker violence on TV thanks to the Sons of Anarchy... These biker clubs are always having bonfires and parties with barbecue pits.. I wonder if they have cold smokers too?