Ken,.. dry cured? I have seen this mentioned but don't know about it yet. Suppose I will have to research. Any info would be appreciated.
We still have the old farm smokehouse standing from when my dad and grandparents smoked meat. Don't have any memories of this from when I was a kid. They were all done with doing this by then. I do remember going in there and relishing the smell of times gone by......
We keep it for a garden shed now,
We need to get you to a Pond Boss event. I usually bring venison pastrami. I did an article about it several years ago, and it has also helped raise more than a few dollars for the Jesse West foundation for the fisheries students at South Dakota State University. Search for "pastrami" and "catmandoo" here on the site.
Anyway, if it were beef, the difference between "corned beef" and "pastrami" is how it is cooked. Corned beef is boiled. Pastrami is hot smoked.
For me, both start with a dry cure of Morton's "TenderQuick" which includes salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite. I also add spices. The TenderQuick is very safe if used as prescribed. It provides a nice finished red color, and it will be botulism free.
I will start with several pounds of meat, in a crock or stainless steel container. I add the dry mix. I thoroughly mix it all together. I then do that twice a day, for at least a week. It is kept refrigerated during this process.
For pastrami, I then rinse it real well, cover it with fresh cracked black pepper, and put it in the smoker until it reaches the proper and safe temperature.
