Cuts other than brisket or navals for pastrami?

[Meat Hunter]

I swore I seen it posted once but cannot find it. Hell it may have been over at the smurf, but someone posted other cuts of meat for making pastrami.

Im thinking beef round. Anyone care to chime in? Briskets are thru the roof expensive here lately and would like to try a cheaper cut but still get decent results.

[Broke @ss Cooker]

Slowpokescotty uses a rump roast says it just as good as a brisket, Less fat and cheaper! Just a thought.

[Whisky Fish]

Yeah I did a three meat experiment. Funny you mentioned navel. It's a very rare cut. I've talked about this and the navel is part of and/or close to the brisket. It is also akin to a pork belly. Here's the confusing part. If you get short ribs in the market, they are usually cross cut into 2-3 inch pieces with varying amounts of meat on them. If you can get the ribs intact, it's called a plate. And these ribs are the short ribs with a pork belly-like slab attached. If you cook them as some BBQ shacks do it is like brisket on a stick. If you liberate the belly-like portion from the ribs you will have a navel cut. If you turn that into pastrami. You will have a navel pastrami that is like old world New york deli pastrami, It will knock your socks off. I'll find the pics for you, but the marbling is unreal.
Danger dan also inspired me to do a Pork shoulder pastrami that was excellent. Truth be told, had I not discovered the navel, I would say that this was the best pastrami ever.
Don't confuse back ribs with short ribs, they are on opposite sides of the cow. And they are generally raped of all meat and sold as the beef ribs most of you are familiar with. I'll look for more pics and info tommorrow.up at 3:30 am, I'm toast

[Meat Hunter]

Cool beans fish. I look forward to any info and pics you have on it.

[DangerDan]

Another good cut for pastrami is the Boston Butt. Personally I think this has more flavor than beef and its 1/2 the price.



This version of Pastrami leans toward the Romanian variation.

[Richtee]

Here's the confusing part. If you get short ribs in the market, they are usually cross cut into 2-3 inch pieces with varying amounts of meat on them. If you can get the ribs intact, it's called a plate. And these ribs are the short ribs with a pork belly-like slab attached.

I got a plate a few weeks back. Had to go to the Eastern Market in Detroit where there's a few real packing houses to get it tho. REAL beef ribs! Delicious cut of meat for sure! Suckers are like 14" long!

[Whisky Fish]

Okay I'm sober and rested now Okay so here's the experiment I did with Tri tip, pork and the plate/navel/deckle cut. I would have definately used more of the coriander and pepper crusting next time, but I was concentrating on the meat texture and flavors;
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7008
think I've got a thread on the brisket on a stick, I'll see if I can find that one too.

[Whisky Fish]

Here's the thread on short ribs. There's a really good shot that shows the ribs with the slab of meat on it.
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5934
I've also been wanting to do another pastrami experiment with duck and turkey but I'll bet you can make anything into a pastrami. Let us know what you do and good luck.

[blues_n_cues]

whole trimmed top round.

[TasunkaWitko]

i would think the eye of round from a beef would work well.

[Meat Hunter]

Ok, ya all got me droolin here.
Of the chart excellence guys. My own meat experiment I believe is in order.
Danger Dan, that butt is beyond description. Totally awesome.
Fish, that 3 meat experiment you did was a success for sure. That plate cut I can only imagine what that tasted like.
Blues, gonna do top round as well.

Whisky, if your pastrami cure isn't a trade secret, I'd sure like to see how you do yours, or you DangerDan.

I have made a few venison pastramis that I adopted from Rivet and Cowgirl that have turned out great, but always looking for others.

I just won a slicer on ebay so now I have to make some of this

Going to be in contact with our local county butcher, see what he can do for me as far as beef navels go.

Thanks guys, been very helpful.

[blues_n_cues]

Ok, ya all got me droolin here.
Of the chart excellence guys. My own meat experiment I believe is in order.
Danger Dan, that butt is beyond description. Totally awesome.
Fish, that 3 meat experiment you did was a success for sure. That plate cut I can only imagine what that tasted like.
Blues, gonna do top round as well.

Whisky, if your pastrami cure isn't a trade secret, I'd sure like to see how you do yours, or you DangerDan.

I have made a few venison pastramis that I adopted from Rivet and Cowgirl that have turned out great, but always looking for others.

I just won a slicer on ebay so now I have to make some of this

Going to be in contact with our local county butcher, see what he can do for me as far as beef navels go.

Thanks guys, been very helpful.

if you have a save-a-lot store around there they usually have whole top rounds in the 15-20# range for $1.99 per lb. @ least they do here.

[Whisky Fish]

Whisky, if your pastrami cure isn't a trade secret, I'd sure like to see how you do yours, or you DangerDan.

.

Nope no trade secret, it's just my corned beef cure. Mulepackin used it a while ago and added some spices to it with good results. I'll have to wait till I get home to get it to ya. It's a 3 1/2 gallon brine so you'll need room for a 5 gal bucket in a fridge or cut down the recipefor what you've got room for. Every time I do it, I make a bunch of corned beef and set aside a couple for pastramis.

[DangerDan]

Corned Beef Brine Recipe

8 cups water or 6 cups water and 2 cups lager beer
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon curing salt
1/4 cup pickling spice
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Preparation Instructions
Brine:
Pour 2 cups warm water into large deep roasting pan. Add salt, sugar and curing salt and stir until dissolved. Add remaining 6 cups of liquid and mix in the corned beef spice and garlic. Submerge the brisket in the liquid, then top with heavy platter to weigh down. This is important; the brisket must be completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate for two weeks. Stir the mixture about every three days.

[Meat Hunter]

Another good cut for pastrami is the Boston Butt. Personally I think this has more flavor than beef and its 1/2 the price.

This version of Pastrami leans toward the Romanian variation.

Having only done PP with butts, is the Boston Butt a different cut than what is normally used for PP? The shoulder with the big flat bone in it?