Pastrami from Mississippi?
Source of Recipe
D'Agostino, NYC
Recipe Introduction
In American cities, where there were large concentrations of Jewish immigrants, pastrami was cured in the delicatessens. Small-town Jews, who wanted to continue their old customs, often had to do the curing themselves. The late Edward Millstone, born in Rumania, immigrated to Natchez, Mississippi, where he cured his own. Try it yourself. It will make a big hit with your family and friends. I do not use saltpeter, thus making a gray, rather than pink color to the meat.
List of Ingredients
1 5 to 6-pound piece of boneless chuck, brisket, or crossrib
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1/2 cup mixed pickling spices
1 tablespoon saltpeter (optional)
1/2 pound coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
8 to 10 cloves garlic, mashed
Recipe
1. Wash the meat and prick well with an ice pick or cooking fork, so that the seasonings can penetrate it.
2. Mix the spices, mash them together, and rub them with the saltpeter, salt, and sugar into the meat on all sides.
3. Put the spices that are left with half the garlic in a large plastic bag. Set the seasoned meat on top. Sprinkle any spices with the rest of the garlic over the meat. Close the bag and place in the refrigerator. Allow the meat to remain in the brine for two weeks, turning it every few days. Drain.
4. At the conclusion of the two-week pickling period, take the meat from the refrigerator. Remove the meat from the marinade, wash in cold water to remove excess salt and spices, and pat dry. Put 2 pieces of string through the pastrami.
5. Place in the middle rack of a smoker at 190 degrees and smoke for an hour to dry the meat. Apply a light smoke and leave another 2 to 3 hours or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 175 to 180 degrees. Remove it before it becomes dry.
6. Steam the meat in water for 30 minutes or until warm. Slice, and serve it with some good Jewish rye bread, mustard and, of course, a pickle!
Yield
12 to 14 servings
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