Pastrami #4: four more curing variations

Our previous four variations of 4 and 8% brine for 3.5 and 7 days turned out too chewy and dry; we had also used a dry rub containing more salt and sugar. It was also a bit too ropey on the exterior from smoking or from desiccation by the rub's salt and sugar. This time we're going to dial down the brine and remove the salt and sugar from the rub to see if we can still get the pink cure but preserve moisture; we'll cheat and use liquid smoke to avoid drying the exterior. We'll use 2 and 4% brine for 2 and 4 days.

Brisket

2.1 Kg Brisket (4.64 pound), cut into quarters evenly

Brine

Make a full batch of 2% brine that will be divided between two buckets; we'll add more salt to the second bucket to bring it to 4%. For speed, we'll actually heat only half the water then top up with ice.

2.25 L Water
90 g Salt, kosher
250 g Brown Sugar
30 g Pink Salt
40 g Black Peppercorns
35 g Coriander Seed
5 g Yellow Mustard Seed
5 g Pink Peppercorns (didn't have, used White)
2.5 g Fennel Seed
2 g Cinnamon
4 g Chili Flakes (not too spicy, or omit: used 1g very spicy Korean)
0.35 g Clove
0.25 g Bay Leaf, fresh
5 g Garlic Powder
5 g Juniper Berries
20 ml Liquid Smoke

Heat everything but the Brisket until the Sugar and Salt have dissolved.
Divide into two 4-Liter Cambro buckets or other heat-proof containers.
Label one "2%".

Add additional 45 g Salt to the other and label it "4%"; stir to dissolve the Salt.

Add Ice to both buckets to bring the level to 2.25L in each.

When cool, add two brisket quarters to each bucket.
Brine for two days.
Remove a brisket quarter from each bucket, and label them "2 days" and with their brine percent; store in a ziplock bag in the fridge.
After another two days, remove the other two briskets, and label them "4 days" with their brine percent.

Dry rub

40 g Black Peppercorns

30 g Coriander Seeds

5 g Garlic Powder

5 g Juniper Berries

3 g Chili Flake (mild, or omit)

Grind all the herbs in a spice/coffee grinder.
Pat the dry rub around the 4 Brisket quarters.

Seal each in a vacuum bag labelled with the brine percent and time; a Sharpie marker that will withstand the bath.

Freeze if you're not ready to cook.

Cook

Cook sous vide at 53C/135F for 72 hours.

You can do this directly from frozen.
When done, let cool on counter for an hour, then overnight in the fridge to reabsorb juices.

Taste Test

Texture of all batches is fine.

Not smelling any smoke :-(

Not enough pastrami pickle-y taste.

When cooled, the combined jus was a gelatinous texture like good meat stock -- that's a great sign; curious why we didn't get it from the previous batch.

2d @ 2%

Not overly salty.

I don't like the sweetness.

Not enough seasoning!

Needs salt.

Sufficiently cooked, a little dry.

Too mild, no flavor.

4d @ 2%

More flavorful than 2d@2%

Not enough flavor

A strange bitterness.

Rancidity in fat

Afterburn from chili.

Needs salt.

2d @ 4%

Better, decent amount of flavor.

I think this is good.

4d @ 4%

Not as flavorful as 2d@4% and a bit more chewy? 

A little grainer and tougher than 2d@4%

Eat

We took 4d@4% and made a dinner from it.

First we trimmed off the fat cap, it wasn't appealing and added nothing to the dish.

Reheat the gelatinous jus and mount with a bit of butter for richness.

Slice the meat thinly on a meat slicer; thinner was more elegant and attractive, perhaps because it held more just.

This was pretty good, good enough to serve to guests.

Next time: for guests

Cut most of the fat cap off the brisket before brining, it's not pleasant at service.

Bump up the salt to make a 5% brine to boost the flavor.

Back out the sugar some more

Either add more liquid smoke, or don't add any since we couldn't taste it.

Brine 4 days.

After cooking sous vide 3 days, let cool at room temp then overnight in the fridge to reabsorb juices.

Brush off rub before slicing before slicing.

Slice very thinly on a meat slicer for the nicest texture.

Strain and heat the gelatinized jus, add some butter for richness.

Reheat the sliced meat in the enriched jus.