Beef-Cheek Pastrami: before smoking and steaming
There is a distinct pleasure in eating well when using the odd-bits, the cast-off and forlorn bits. Those cuts, that when cooked with care and love, result in a sumptuous feast not just an adequate repast. A few years back, over a weekend, I was curing some pork jowls. That process got me to wondering about the cheeks or “jowls” of cattle. A little quick research turned up a recipe for beef-cheek pastrami.
Now, for the past three years, home-cured pastrami is on the menu when we have a steer butchered. That this version is made from a cut typically thrown away is a bonus. And, to my way of thinking, the odd-bits more fully honor our relationship with an animal we have nurtured from birth to death.
This recipe uses a wet-cure process to create the pastrami. It does not create a shelf-stable cured meat. Then again, who would know? With fresh pastrami in the house it doesn’t linger long enough to meet the shelf-stable test.
(My apologies to whomever I originally cribbed this recipe.)
The Brine: bring your brine to a boil and allow to cool. Pour over the beef-cheeks. Cover and store in the fridge.
- 3 quarts of water
- 1 cup of kosher salt
- A few tablespoons of pickling spice
- 4 teaspoons of pink salt (cure #1)
The Soak: after four days, rinse off the meat and soak in cool water for 8 hours. This will reduce the salt content in the final pastrami.
The Rub: coat the cheeks lightly in the dry rub at least 24-48 hours before smoking. Return to fridge.
- Ground black pepper
- Freshly ground coriander seeds
- Paprika (I typically use a mild smoked type. But whatever you have on hand works best.)
The Smoke: I use a Brinkman smoker, easy and cheap. Smoke for about three hours.
The Steam: Put the cheeks in a small roasting pan and pour a beer around the meat. Cover with foil and put in the oven at 250 degrees for three hours.
The Eating: Do you really need advice? OK. Slice thin and pile high.
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Reading this weekend: The Severans: the changed Roman Empire by Michael Grant. A history that examines a period of poor leadership, a bloated government and military, and an overly complex empire.
