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WOO HOO! Filet Mignon & Fries for $10.00 at Steak 44 in Phoenix AZ (bar 4-6pm)

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Steak 44 is an upscale American Steakhouse I went too in the Arcadia section of Phoenix Arizona. From the very start of things the help was so nice to us. Someone quickly ran to the door to open it for us. The atmosphere is rich and dark. If you strain your eyes and look in the center of the next photo you might be able to see a large cleaver collection and countless bottles of wine that fills the walls.

Bar area

Bar area with window of kitchen

Cocktail tables behind bar

I heard about the 4-6pm Early Menu Bar Specials so I wanted to check out Steak 44 and give it a try.  We started with large pours of Happy Hour Priced Cabernet ($8.00@). For Appetizers we split the BLT Wedge Salad and the smaller order of Panko Crusted Deviled Eggs. Within minutes someone runs over a HOT Skillet of SIX fresh baked STEAMING HOT Parmesan Herbed Dinner Rolls. (wow! I didn’t know that this was coming!)

Gee that’s a lot of bread for only two people. It’s hot and tasty…you have to eat at least one…

Then the appetizers get ran to us…..They take our silverware and make sure we have chilled silverware for the salad. Now that is upscale service!!!!

1/2 of the BLT Salad ($12.00) and Panko Crusted Deviled Eggs are in corner.

The salad was chilled till the leaves were crisp. It is actually nicer to eat with chilled silverware. It feels special….and it taste great with all that delicious blue cheese and blue cheese dressing.

After the salad I go for a Panko Crusted Devilled Egg.

These are smaller sized eggs but they are filled with lots of rich creamy filling. They taste very traditional. Sriracha Aioli is there on the side for dipping. To me it seems strange to dip a creamy egg in creamy aioli but I gave it a try anyway……You know it does taste good! It adds a nice kick and more flavors.

Between the salad, deviled eggs and hot roll I could stop eating now.

They cleared our plates and gave us new silverware again and then our $10.00 Filet Mignons arrive.

It’s a perfect size portion for me…..It looks like 4oz of meat…who knows maybe it’s 5. I have enough for me and some for my dogs. (I always bring them some food back from dining out) The meat is cooked less than the medium I asked for but I accept it anyway. The meat is flavorful and juicy. It’s tender like butter. I usually HATE crinkle cut fries but the Steak 44 Crinkle Cut Fries are very good. They have fluffy moist centers and a thin crispy exterior and arrived piping hot. They are seasoned well and taste delicious.

Service was very professional. Atmosphere was very good. Food was very good and a GREAT VALUE!!!!!!

WOO HOO! Filet Mignon and Fries for only $10.00 at Steak 44 in Phoenix AZ!

4-6pm Early Bar Menu at Steak 44 in Phoenix AZ – Was Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.Steak44.com

Every Forking Thing is subject to change and YOUR experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

 

Ocotillo Restaurant in Phoenix AZ – One of My Favorites! – Worth a Fork!

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Ocotillo is a (what seems like) one mile square compound in down town Phoenix that is a modern farm to table global style restaurant with a wonderfully enormous menu of astonishing variety. Ocotillo offers a modern atmosphere, multiple patios, an outdoor coffee bar and an outdoor cocktail bar.

 

As you enter from parking lot.

Park like setting.

Outdoor seating.

Patio by the front of restaurant.

Coffee Bar.

More outdoor seating.

Patio and Cocktail bar.

Dining Areas

It’s fun to share plates here since they offer so many interesting detailed plates.

Thirty -one detailed plates on the menu today with great variety. How could you not be happy with a menu like this?

We started with one of the Small Plates.

It’s not so small.

But it was Delicious!

Here was the House Smoked Salmon with Capers, Tea Egg, Pickled Shallot (it looks like a rose) Pickled Shallot, Dill Creme Fraiche Salad and Seeded Bread. The Salmon was carefully smoked and was buttery. The flavors of everything went really well together. This small plate is very large and can feed three people pretty well or a small bite for four people.

Then we wanted to share one of the vegetable plates and went with the Charred Sweet Potato with Avocado, Lime, Pickled Shallots, Pasilla Pumpkin Salsa.

OMG this is one of the most delicious things I tasted this year! The Char adds something delicious here against the potato and they sprinkled the sweet potato with what I think was Aleppo Pepper. There was a fresh herb salad with mint and cilantro too. When you ate everything on this plate together it became magical……Incredibly delicious……I wasn’t expecting this vegetable plate to be so large so I got to bring home a second take out box…..

Lastly we shared a House Made Pastrami Sandwich with Oil-Vinegar Coleslaw, Grain Mustard and Seeded Bread. The Sandwich came with lemon broccolini salad.

The Sandwich was just delicious! The Pastrami was tender and on the lean side. It had a nice smoke to it but not too much. It wasn’t crusted but had lots of flavors in it that included cloves. Slaw was good and crisp, grain mustard not to strong. This is really good. The Broccolini salad is better than I expected. I was expecting the broccolini to be a little chewy but it was unusually light and easy to eat.

Wow! that was really great! And I get to enjoy most of it again at home! That’s a win!

Here are not all but some of the previous dishes I enjoyed from Ocotillo. The menu changes regularly. Everything was wonderful and delicious. Portions so far have always ran very large.

I have to say Ocotillo is one of my favorites in Phoenix and is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.OcotilloPhx.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Cooper’s Hawk’s Winery and Restaurant in Orlando Florida

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Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant has multiple locations in the Eastern Half of the continental United States.  Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant is part Wine Bar, part gift shop, part candy shop and also a restaurant.

A benefit of dining here is that they took all the guessing out of wine pairing. Everyone who dines here can be a sommelier. Each item on the menu has the suggested wine bin number so you can pair wine like a pro. Many varieties of wine are offered and many wines are award wining. Carafes of wine come in a decanter and bottles are decanted very elaborately with a contraption I’ve never seen before.

The dining room is sort of traditional in style with dark wood traditional tables and chairs.

The menu is mostly American but is laced with global inspirations. For the mains they offer a variety of proteins. They offer several steak dishes, some fish dishes, pasta dishes and more.

We started with Brussel Sprouts with Cashews, Mint, Sweet Chili, Sesame and Sriracha.

This dish had good flavors going on.  I liked the play of spicy sweet and bright mint. But this dish was on the oily side and the Brussel Sprout were raw inside.

For my main I had the Soy Ginger Salmon with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes and Slaw.

My fish was slightly over done and the soy ginger sauce was cloyingly sweet. The potatoes hardly had any wasabi taste that I was looking forward too.

On the Bright Side!

My husband enjoyed his Shrimp and Grits!

My sister’s fiancé enjoyed the Rib Eye Special!

I did indeed enjoy the wine I tried! I thought it was a great value for restaurant priced wine.

That was my trip to Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant in Orlando Florida.

wwwCHwinery.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

My Trip to the Disney Epcot 2018 Food and Wine Festival in Orlando Florida

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From August 30th till November 12th 2018 Epcot at Disney turns Global Foodie. Just walk your feet off all around Epcot and sample different tastes from around the world…..Don’t worry about over doing it because you know it’s a Small World After all.

You need at least two days to do the Food and Wine Festival. Most of the booths offer three choices of food, a beverages or two and maybe a dessert that cost $5-$10.00 on the average. The festival foods run not all but mostly beef and pork……We skipped all the beverages (except for water), wines and most desserts for more stomach room. We cherry picked the foods we picked and it took two days for us and that is with us skipping some booths (some skipping was accidental).  If you are more serious about trying all the food and drink you need to split the food with a group of people and you might need at least three days in Epcot. Two Days of all this food for two people only cost us $138.00….(plus park admission).

Our first stop was Thailand and we shared a Red Hot Spicy Thai Curry Beef with steamed rice.

New Zealand was Seared Venison Sausage with Kumara Puree and Wild Mushroom Marsala Sauce.

At Canada we found Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet with Truffle Butter Sauce.

We stopped at Ireland two days. One day was Roasted Irish Sausage with Colcannon Potatoes and Onion Gravy. The Other we tried Warm Irish Cheddar Cheese Stout Dip with Irish Brown Bread. (we were given two slices but noticed the next day they were giving out four slices….

Brazil had Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans and Onions.

Didn’t eat in Morocco but it was pretty here.

Japan offered of the very few chicken and fish offerings. We tried Teriyaki Chicken Bun and a Spicy Rice Roll of Tuna and Salmon that was topped with Volcano Sauce.

At Italy we tried one of the other chicken offerings – Pollo All Cacciatora – Braised Chicken Thigh with mushrooms, tomatoes and Parmesan Polenta.

At a booth called From The Fire was some of the most delicious food from the festival. Here we tried Smoked Corned Beef with Crispy Potato Chips, Pickled Onions, Pale Ale Fondue, Romano and Grana Cheeses. Then we tried Charred Chimichurri Skirt Steak on a Smoked Corn Cake with Pickled Slaw and Cilantro Aioli. We skipped not all but many of the sweets but luckily tried the Chocolate Picante. It was a delicious plate of Dark Chocolate Mousse with Cayenne Pepper, Chocolate Candy Balls and Mango.

Earth Eats offered a Mushroom Blended  Beef Slider with Brie Cheese Fondue, Arugula, Truffle, Blue Cheese and a Potato Chip on Brioche. Also Offered was the Vegan Impossible Burger Slider with SPICY Asian Slaw and Wasabi Cream on Sesame Bun. The Impossible Burger was slightly over-cooked but both burgers was very flavorful and delicious.

At Active Eats was Loaded Mac “N” Cheese with Cheddar, Pepper Bacon, Peppers and Green Onions. They also offered Verlasso Salmon with Lentil Salad, Avocado and Sherry Vinegar.

At the Chocolate Studio we both LOVED the Liquid Nitro Chocolate Almond Truffle with Whiskey Sauce. But our least favorite plate for BOTH OF US at the festival was the Sweet Chocolate Raspberry Torte…..Wow neither of could eat it…..

Our trip to the Cheese Studio was pretty darn yummy. We tried a Trio of a Profiterole with Boursin Garlic Herbs with Apricot jam, A Smoked Salmon Pinwheel made with Boursin Shallot Cream Cheese and Everything Seasoning and last was a Strawberry Macaron with Boursin Pepper Cheese.

Our last stop outside was the Wine and Dine Studio. We tried a Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Vinaigrette, Parmesan Cheese and Pumpkin Seeds and a Cheese Trio of Crescenza-Stracchino, Gorgonzola Dolce Vino Rosso.

Inside the World Showcase were special add on food special event options, Chocolate displays and bottles of wine and liquor for sale.

I was eyeing up a bottle of Lucas Winery Wine…You know the Star Wars Guy. It was $65.00 a bottle so we sampled a tasting with a cheese plate.

We spent $13.00 on the wine tasting to save $65.00. I forget what the cheese plate cost.

Then we finished off with a free British Revolution Concert.

That was my Trip to the 2018 Disney Epcot Food and Wine Festival in Orlando Florida.

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

 

My Trip to Mrs Potato Restaurant in Orlando Florida

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Mrs Potato is a small casual Brazilian Potato Restaurant located in Orlando Florida not too far from Disney World. The specialty of the restaurant are the Rosti Potatoes that are basically large round stuffed hash browns. They also offer extra large stuffed potatoes and a limited menu of Brazilian Food. The food is made fresh to order so it doesn’t get to you fast and you have to wait. The Rosti Potatoes alone take twenty five minutes to cook. This tiny restaurant is not fancy but they’ve gained national attention from being featured on Diners Drive Inns and Dives on Food Network Television.

This is pretty much the whole restaurant with a patio off to the side.

There is a Potato Head Collection on the wall.

On the other wall are numerous articles and publications about the restaurant and also Guy Fieri’s Memorabilia from the diners Drive Inns and Dive TV Show.

We started out by trying an appetizer of 1/2 Cod Fritters and 1/2 Cheese Balls.

They serve them with the house “Garlic Mayo” and sweet chili sauce.

As you can see the Cheese Balls are Cheesy and Tasty and the Cod Fritters are Good. I’ve had Cod Fritters at another Brazilian Restaurant and these have much more Cod in them.

We both went with Rosti Potatoes.

They come out golden and crispy. They offer the house Garlic Mayonnaise to dress them and they also offer two Brazilian Sauces to spike them up.

**********Note the white sauce on right side.

On the left is Brazilian Sausage Stuffed Rosti and on the Right is the Veggie Lovers Rosti.

We would return and recommend.

That was my trip to Mrs Potato in Orlando Florida.

www.MrsPotato.net

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Terralina Crafted Italian Restaurant at Disney Springs near Orlando Florida

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Terralina Crafted Italian is located in Disney Springs formally known as Downtown Disney near Orlando Florida. This is an American/Italian Restaurant with a waterfront. The Menu has been created by James Beard Award Winning Chef Tony Mantuano. This restaurant serves wood oven pizzas, calzones, some house made pastas, entrees and more. They also have a sommelier on site for wine advise.

The dining is sort of Mediterranean in style with lots of stone and iron work.

They also offer patio dining.

We were dining with my sister and her fiancé and shared a couple of appetizers.

They took about forty five minutes to arrive after we ordered. I tried the Fried Ricotta Stuffed Olives n the left first. They were a little different and tasty. On the right were stuffed rice balls. I was expecting them to be seasoned and flavorful but oddly who ever prepared them had an allergy to seasoning and made the rice balls unseasoned and next to flavorless….. but the rice balls were fried nicely and seemed free of oil. The tomato sauce also lacked flavors….

Then we found ourselves waiting for dinner.

Then we wait some more for dinner.

Our waiter stops by and apologies  for all the time we’ve been waiting and says that dinner is coming out soon.

Then maybe another half hour goes by and he apologies again and says dinner should be coming out soon.

The Wine Sommelier checks on us and apologies…….

We waited a really long time for dinner. (somewhere over an hour and a half from when we ordered)

Finally three of the four dinners arrive…….Everyone’s dinner but mine.

I told everyone to eat but they all insisted to wait till my dinner arrived.

So we wait another 15 minutes and my dinner arrives.

My dinner was good. It was hot and fresh and prepared reasonably well. But I was the only one at the table that got a fresh nice prepared meal……….    🙁

My sister got the same dinner I had but it was a version that sat out a little while.

My husband’s Seafood Cannelloni also hung out with my sisters plate but the Cannelloni weren’t flavored so well I was told.

But the worst one was my sister’s fiancé’s Swordfish.

It was cold with a RAW COLD center…….Cold and RAW!

Now the waiter apologies to us again.

The Wine Sommelier apologies to us again.

The Manager apologies, comps our bill and tells us to get dessert and or anything else we want.

The FORKING TRUTH is that I haven’t been served by a nicer or more apologetic staff of people that served such a disaster of a dinner.

That was my trip to Terralina Crafted Italian at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista near Orlando.

www.TerralinaCraftedItalian.com

I NOTE THAT Every FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth

 

 

My Trip to Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Lake Buena Vista Florida (Near Orlando)

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Chef Art’s Homecomin’ is a Southern Style American Restaurant. Chef Art Smith is a Celebrity Chef and Multi Award Winning and James beard Award Winning Chef. When you taste his food at the restaurant you will see why. Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ Restaurant is located in Disney Springs (that is formally known as Downtown Disney). No need to purchase park admission for anything in Disney Springs but there is no street parking so you have to use a garage or valet park. Reservations can be difficult to get even a month in advance but be persistent and call the day you are in the area and maybe they can squeeze you in.

The restaurant is sort of farm style. It’s very woody with lots of natural sunlight during the day.

Our server was very welcoming and explains the menu in detail to us.

A specialty of the house are the Moonshine Shooters.

Pictured here are a lemon, blackberry and Strawberry Moonshine Shooters of different proofs. They come with a Pickle Juice Shooter and Candied Pecans. WOO HOO they are strong!

Many delicious appetizers are on the menu so we decided to try the Jasper’s Board that contains Smoked Fish Dip (today it was grouper), Pimento Cheese, Shaved Country and Tasso Ham, Bread and Butter Pickles, Candied Pecans and Buttermilk Crackers. It SOUNDS CRAZZZZZZZY but our waitress told us that you are suppose to pile everything on the cracker and then eat it……MY GOD THIS IS FORKING DELICIOUS……The flavors are just CRAZY CRAZY GOOD! I can’t stop eating this………Oh God and the portion is enough for FOUR PEOPLE.

My main for dinner (and two breakfasts……..(((I’m stuffed by now))) was Art Smith’s Famous Fried Chicken.

Everything is delicious but it gets even better when you splash it all up with the house made hot sauce that isn’t too hot but adds a little soft heat, flavor and tang………so good….This is TOO GOOD…….

My husband had the Capital Meatloaf.

It is also TOO GOOD and comes with “Killer” Sauces of tomato and sausage gravy that you are suppose to mix together. Even the vegetables are extra special and are dabbed with pepper jelly. This plate comes with mashed potatoes but my husband went for the cheesy Mac “N” Cheese option and it is Cheesy Mac “N” Cheese too!

“The FOOD is so GOOD your need to come wearing your Stretchy Pants!”

“The Food is TOO GOOD…..you will have to eat Too Much!”

That was my trip to Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Lake Buena Vista Florida near Orlando.

www.HomecominKitchen.com

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Tiffins Restaurant in Animal Kingdom at Disney World Orlando Florida

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Tiffins is an upscale restaurant located in Discovery Island in Animal Kingdom at Disney World in Orlando Florida. The food they serve is Modern Global that usually features flavors that are  Africa, Latin and Asian.

The atmosphere is formal, a little dark without windows and is embellished with artwork with a jungle theme.

We went for the full experience. We got a three course meal that included a champagne toast, a glass of wine or beer, The Lion King Show with VIP seating and a Semi Private Safari Tour. (2018 pricing was about $100.00 a person)

Our waiter was very welcoming. He explained all the dishes to us and also made recommendations.

They started us off with focaccia with pomegranate molasses. (I forgot to photo…)

My husband and I shared an Artisanal Cheese Plate and a Chickpea Falafel with Mint Pistachio Pesto, Cumin Garlic Raita.

The Falafel was light and fluffy with a moist but flavorful center. Lots of good flavors going on there.

My main was Pan Seared Halibut with a Concentrated Tomato, Green Beans, Fingerling Potatoes, Saffron Aioli and Olive Marmalade.

The halibut came out with a nice sear, was tender, moist and seasoned just so. The Olive Marmalade and Saffron Aioli were unusually delicious with the Halibut.

My husband’s plate was more interesting…..

He had the Crispy Sadza (African Porridge) with Braised Berkshire Pork Belly, Crispy Corn Cake, Vegetables, Chakalaka (spicy south African vegetable/bean Relish) and Corn Emulsion.

Dessert was

Passion Fruit Tapioca Creme with Chocolate Crumble and Citrus for me.

The dessert tasted like a natural passionfruit. It’s strong but a delicious taste…..

My husband had the South African Chocolate Ganache with Caramelized Banana Cocoa Nib Tuile.

After That we saw the Lion King Show!

Then we finished with a semi private safari.

That was my trip to Tiffins Restaurant in Discovery Island in Animal Kingdom at Disney World in Orlando Florida.

www.TiffinsRestaurant.com

Everything is subject to change and YOUR experience may or may not differ.

The Forking Truth

Where The Fork I’ve Been and a Taste of what I Ate…..In Orlando Florida

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For a few days I’m writing about the places I ate at while in Orlando Florida.

One place I ate at was Norman’s at The Ritz Carlton. This is a fine dining restaurant that serves Fusion of Latin, Caribbean and Asian but European Style. This is a James Beard Award Wining Restaurant and the Chef is Celebrity Chef Norman Van Aken who is a decorated cook book author.

We also tried Mrs Potato. This is a small casual Brazilian Potato Restaurant. I found this yummy stop from the Diners, Drive Ins and Dives from Food Network.

One of our favorite stops was Art Smith’s Home Coming in Disney Springs.

The Food is Southern Style American Comfort Food by an Award Wining James Beard Chef Art Smith. The Food was TOO GOOD HERE….It was too good….so good I had to eat too much. The Food was also generously sized……This is a Must do! This one is actually in Lake Buena Vista but that is just by Orlando.

 

Tiffins Restaurant is a slightly upscale Global Cuisine Dining Restaurant located in Discovery Island in Animal Kingdom at Disney. Flavors from Africa and that are, Asian and Latin are featured. This was among our favorite stops. We managed to get a package where you get a three course meal that includes wine or beer, a Lion King Show with VIP Seating and a semi private Safari Tour.

We tried Terralina Crafted Italian in Disney Springs.

Terralina Crafted Italian Menu was created by James Beard Award Winning Chef Tony Mantuano.

At this time (October 2018) this is a newly opened restaurant.

We also tried out Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant is part Gift Shop, Winery, Candy Store and Restaurant. The Reserved Red Blend I tried is very good for it’s price point but if you get a bottle of wine they have a unique way they decant it at the table that looks very impressive.

We also went to the 2018 Epcot Food and Wine Festival and hit about a dozen of the booths over the two days.

This was where the Fork I was and a Taste of what I ate in Orlando Florida.

The Forking Truth

 

Brisket Pastrami Recipe without added Nitrates Fall 2018

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Pastrami Brisket (The Flat  or lean part- Cold)

I usually make a brisket pastrami about twice a year and each time I make one I think I learn something new. This is the first time I separated the flat from the fattier point ( also called deckle). I found this time the two pieces cooked at different times. So now I have to separate them when I make this again. I just learned that cooking the pastrami is similar to cooking really great turkey or chicken….it’s better when you separate the parts. The Flat (bigger leaner part) took about 12 hours this time. I only cooked the point for about 7 hours. So far I always made corned beef and pastrami without added nitrates for several reasons. Nitrates are very bad for us and also because the pink salt can be toxic and I don’t want to have toxic salt in my house. The down side of not adding nitrates is that the food doesn’t look as appetizing……..some people say the taste is different too but I’m not so sure. I have learned that Diamond Brand Kosher Salt is much safer to use than Morton for brining pastrami and corned beef. Diamond salt has a different salt density and also differs in crystal shape and is more efficient in penetrating the meat. Spices were tweaked only slightly and I used my unique rub I used last time. The Pastrami came out even more moist. Even cold it’s moist and very flavorful.  Every time I make it the pastrami comes out even better! Woo Hoo!

Ingredients for about 20 portions

1 brisket (about 14 pounds)

3 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup pure honey

2 Tablespoons juniper berries

10 Tablespoons coriander seeds

2 Tablespoons allspice berries

8 bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks – broken in half

2 Tablespoons whole cloves

2 Tablespoons yellow mustard seeds

6 Tablespoons black tellicherry peppercorns

2 Tablespoons white peppercorns

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

21 garlic cloves – smashed and chopped

4 hot dried peppers – torn in half

2 Tablespoons smoked paprika

2 chile pequin – crumbled

3 quarts water

20 oz Diamond Brand Kosher Salt (this is not an interchangeable ingredient because other brands of salt work different and have different salt density).

Directions

All the ingredients above EXCEPT FOR BRISKET AND GARLIC go in a BIG Pot that you bring to a boil and then shut off. Now add the garlic. The mixture MUST BE COOL to brine meat. You can add a couple cups of ice to cool more if needed.

BRINE MUST BE COOLED OFF

Trim off all hard fat off the brisket and separate the flat from the point (deckle). It’s sort of easy but it is also difficult because none of use have superior knives. I knew where to cut but I did find the actual removal of fat was difficult. I just took my time and did it slowly. I trimmed off more fat than most people would. I don’t think I left much more than a quarter inch anywhere. Leave more fat on it you like fat….You can always trim it off latter too.

After the fat is trimmed you need to pierce the meat all over with a meat fork.

If your brine is cool then you can get a turkey roasting bag and bag up the brisket and pour in the brine.

Tie the bag and let the air out. Get the bag so the brining liquid is all around the meat. This needs to be in the refrigerator for FIVE DAYS.

Set your oven to 266 degrees F.

After FIVE DAYS remove the meats from the brine solution. Discard the brine solution. Rinse the meats well.

Put them in one very large or two roasting pans. Fill 3/4 with water. Try to cover the meat with water. Cover the pans tight with foil.

Ok there is no way to know on how long the meats will take to be done. (the meats might be done in 7-12 hours….don’t check on till at least 7 and then you can guess. It will feel soft when it’s done)

Now is a good time to make the rub. This recipe makes more than you need and unused rub can be kept in the freezer till the next time you make a pastrami. The standard rub for pastrami is 50% coarsely ground black pepper and 50% coarsely ground coriander. Here is something more unique if you’d like to try.

2 teaspoons dark molasses (for applying rub)

1/8 cup paprika

1/8 cup smoked paprika

6 Tablespoons whole coriander

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

6 Tablespoons tellicherry peppercorns

2 Tablespoons yellow mustard seeds

1 Tablespoon white peppercorns

17 garlic cloves – fine chopped

1 Tablespoon Szechuan Peppercorns

Directions for rub.

Toast the spices lightly and when cool use a spice grinder and add finely chopped garlic.

Back to Directions for Pastrami.

The smaller piece took around 7 hours. ALL PASTRAMI COOKING TIMES WILL DIFFER*****

The bigger piece took around 12 hours.  ALL PASTRAMI COOKING TIMES WILL DIFFER*****

When the meat is done and tender you take it out of the liquid.

The molasses is applied thinly and then the rub.

Chill overnight in the refrigerator. Slice and portion. Whatever you aren’t eating in the next three days you MUST FREEZE….no preservatives it will spoil.

“We are getting some Forking Delicious Brisket Pastrami”

The Fattier Point (cold)

Pastrami Brisket (The Flat – Cold)

WOO HOO it came out Forking GREAT!

The Forking Truth