Pink salt for pastrami

[Huntnfish89]

I'm using Michael Ruhlmam's recipe from "Charcutrie" to make some venison pastrami, but the roast that I pulled out is only about 2.5 lbs. I figured I'd just half the brine recipe, but I'm curious about the amount of pink salt/ cure to use. The recipe calls for 6 tsp for a gallon of brine. Would it be better to make up the while gallon brine, or can I half everything including the pink salt, so use only 3 tsp?

 

[LongWayAround]

I haven't done the pastrami but I did recently use one of the ham recipes from that book. My roast was on the small side and I kept their portions of salt etc. For my tastes, the ham came out a little more salty than I would prefer. I will likely reduce the salt quantities next time.

 

[Huntnfish89]

I've had similar experiences with salmon, jerky, etc coming out too salty as well. I just halved everything and have it cooling right now and I'll toss the meat in when I get back later tonight.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Brine it and then slice off piece fry in skillet to test. If it's too salty soak in water for a while and test a piece again.

 

[Wrench]

The pink salt is much less about salt flavor and more about preserving the meat.

 

[Trial153]

Use the proper amount( always by weight ), your using it to cure the meat not flavor it.

If your worried about the brine and the taste of parts cut back on the salt ( not the instacure) or cut back in the amount of time your meat is in the brine

 

[peterk123]

Look up any corned beef recipe. Pastrami is smoked corned beef with a rub. I do not recall ever using the pink curing salts in my brines.

 

[Poser]

I'm using Michael Ruhlmam's recipe from "Charcutrie" to make some venison pastrami, but the roast that I pulled out is only about 2.5 lbs. I figured I'd just half the brine recipe, but I'm curious about the amount of pink salt/ cure to use. The recipe calls for 6 tsp for a gallon of brine. Would it be better to make up the while gallon brine, or can I half everything including the pink salt, so use only 3 tsp?

I would go ahead and use the same proportions for the brine: if you cut the water in half, fine to cut the pink salt in half.

There is no higher authority on this recipe and similar recipes than Ruhlman’s and I’ve made this one before myself. It’s excellent.

 

[SDHNTR]

Go easy on those nitrites. If in doubt, err on the short side. Or find an alternative. Highly carcinogenic.

 

[Huntnfish89]

I would go ahead and use the same proportions for the brine: if you cut the water in half, fine to cut the pink salt in half.

There is no higher authority on this recipe and similar recipes than Ruhlman’s and I’ve made this one before myself. It’s excellent.

I've used a few other recipes from this book and they've all turned out great. I'm sure this will be much the same.... I mean if you have Thomas Keller doing the forward it must be good right lol

 

[Huntnfish89]

Go easy on those nitrites. If in doubt, err on the short side. Or find an alternative. Highly carcinogenic.

Generally I will omit nitrites as much as I can when making something that calls for it. Good call though, something to give thought to.

 

[Huntnfish89]

Well the meat is in the brine doing its thing and of course now I come across a recipe from Hank Shaw from hunter angler, gardener, cook. In it he outlines a cure to meat ratio. Its copied and pasted below.

"A word on the curing salt.... A general rule is to use 0.25% Instacure based off the weight of the meat, so a 1000 gram roast would use 2.5 grams of Instacure. Do not use much more than I call for, though. If you used 3 grams in this case, it’d be fine, but don’t accidentally use, say, 6 grams."

 

[long hunter]

Mortons quick cure is my go too. Never used the pink salt.

 

[Huntnfish89]

I wanted to follow up with an update. I pulled it from the brine Saturday morning and tested it. It did come out a little salty, but a quick soak in cold water for about an hour leached enough salt out. I then trussed the roast, coated with a black pepper and coriander mix and smoked for about 2hrs before heading onto a rack over water in a roasting pan and into the over at 275. For another few hours.

It came out delicious flavor wise, perfectly seasoned, and well balanced, but I think there was also a few things I could have done better.

I used a whole sirloin tip and while its "football" shape was convenient I noticed the the very center left about a quarter sided "vein" of meat that did not fully cure. This portion came out more like roast beef, but tasty nonetheless.

While it came out moist enough for a lean piece of meat, I wonder if cooking it a little less in the oven at the end would result in more moisture. Realize that the lack of fat is a huge factor though.

Make more. I always seem to forget just how much "meat shrinkage" happens in the process and no one likes that.

All in all it came out great and nice change of pace from what I typically make.

Thank you all for your ideas and tips.

 

[PantherCity]

…..soak in cold water for about an hour

I always seem to forget just how much "meat shrinkage" happens in the process and no one likes that.

Cold water always causes “meat shrinkage”



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Huntnfish89]

Figured as much

 

[WasatchRanger]

I always refer to Hank Shaw (honestfood.net) for questions regarding charcuterie/curing salt/etc. Guy is a wizard

 

[butcherboy]

If you want to speed up your brining process and not have any uncured sots in the meat then you need to inject it and then brine. You only need to brine for about 24-36 hours if you do a 20% pump. Also, if the nitrites and nitrates scare you then you can use celery powder or cherry powder for your cure. However, when cooked, the celery and cherry powder convert to nitrite’s.

 

[Huntnfish89]

If you want to speed up your brining process and not have any uncured sots in the meat then you need to inject it and then brine. You only need to brine for about 24-36 hours if you do a 20% pump. Also, if the nitrites and nitrates scare you then you can use celery powder or cherry powder for your cure. However, when cooked, the celery and cherry powder convert to nitrite’s.

That's a great idea with injecting the brine. Simply enough, the thought never crossed my mind.