Pastrami

This is an unusual ‘cure’ for me. Most of the cured meat items we’ve played with so far require some level of dehydration. Pastrami however needs the cured meat to be moist and succulent. I picked a bit of Rump Steak for this experiment as it wasn’t hideously expensive and after I’d trimmed the fat the meat had the sort of texture I’m looking for when I eventually cut it alone, rather that across the grain.

Ingredients:-

Good low fat Beef
Fresh ground Black Pepper
Salt
Saltpetre

The tricky thing is measuring the Saltpetre for a small piece of meat. You need 2g per 1kg in weight to preserve the colour. I had 200g of meat when it was trimming and our scales only work from 1g upwards. So I divided and divided until I had an approximate amount. If it’s under the Salt will cure the meat but it will be green in the middle. If it’s over the meat will be livid red and there will be a nasty ‘Nitric’ after taste.  We shall see…..

Method:-

(1) Mix the curing ingredients.
(2) Coat  The meat on all sides.
(3) Place in an air tight box in the fridge.
(4) Turn after 7 days.
(5) Slice along the grain and serve in a Sandwich or as part of a cold salad.

See you in three weeks!