Well, had my 1st failure on the sm025 (not the cooker's fault though). Despite reading about the pastrami-making process here on the forum, I was just plain careless, and paid the price. I used a commercially-prepared corned beef to expedite the process. So, without any further delay:
Mistake # 1. Instead of soaking the meat for 24 hours, with several water changes, I just dunked it in water and gave it a couple of quick rinses, then seasoned it.
Mistake # 2. I used a 4 oz chunk of hickory for a 2.5 lb piece of meat, instead of a more appropriate 1-2 oz piece.
Mistake # 3. Cooked it to an internal temp of 180, instead of the 190 I had planned for.
Results: A rather tough slab of overly-salty, over-smoked pastrami. Edible yes, enjoyable not so much. All of this because I was in a rush!
Lesson learned? Take your time and listen to the advice given here on the forum!
Original Post
). Like you and others have said, live and learn! We have all had fubars!!!