Smoke Brisket (the DMV, Wagshall's)

[The Knize]

I had heard about it for quite awhile, but for the first time today I had Wagshal's (long-time Jewish deli, wine shop, gourmet shop in general near the DC-Maryland line on Massachusetts Avenue) "smoked brisket," which some folks seem to refer to as pastrami, but Washal's does not, and I do not think it really is pastrami. Although they do seem to serve it excusively on rye with mustard, just as the good Lord intended such things to be served.

It is more like what I imagine Montreal smoked meat to be although I have never tried it.

Lives up to its reputation. Seems to me to fall right in line with the best of Jewish deli, such as corned beef, pastrami, tongue, etc. To die for, for sure. I truly love this kind of food, and it is so hard to get the real deal!

Highly recommended. I will be going over there at every opportunity for a while, I can tell!

 

[Jim]

Sounds like a great sammich- I'll split a side of onion rings with you!

BTW, Pastrami is smoked corned beef.

 

[jwhite]

Sounds like a great sammich- I'll split a side of onion rings with you!

BTW, Pastrami is smoked corned beef.

and corned beef is a pickled brisket. So using the transitive property of meat- pastrami is smoked pickled brisket.

 

[mouscacha]

So using the transitive property of meat- pastrami is smoked pickled brisket.

HAHA! The real question is, "Does pastrami go well with BBQ sauce?" If not, than I'll stick with the non-picked type. haha!

 

[The Knize]

Sounds like a great sammich- I'll split a side of onion rings with you!

BTW, Pastrami is smoked corned beef.

Yeah, I hear you. I would bet this was "corned," which is to say pickled beef brisket. For one thing, the meat is definitely a pastrami looking read in color.

I was trying to think why did not seem so much like the pastrami I am used to. I guess I think of pastrami is being more heavily peppered that this seemed to me, and not quite as smokey. This was pretty smokey. Different spices than Texas Q brisket, but getting there on the level of smoke, methinks!

They supposed make this stuff in house. If they do corn the brisket before smoking it, and I am assuming they do, I wonder why they are not selling a killer corned beef, which as far as I can tell no place in Washingon, DC does. Not even close.

 

[jwhite]

Yes, typically a brisket is submerged in a brine until fully cured than coated with pepper corns and coriander, and smoked. If there doing it all in house I wouldn't be surprised if it had a deeper smoke aspect. Proper curing and smoking is labor and material intensive and most large scale commercial ventures don't do it that way anymore. The redness you described can only occur with curing and specifically with pink salt. That is what preserves the color in ham, salami, corned beef, etc. With out tasting it or knowing the texture, I couldn't tell you if it used the pickling spices typical to corned beef and pastrami or if it was brine or dry cured. The color tells me pink salt must have been used, and I'd be willing to bet on brine curing. But sounds to me like they're doing there own thing, sort of a variation on a theme. Thats probably why they don't call it pastrami. Also could be why they don't do a corned beef. They do something in the family but distinct from either. I think that is very cool.

 

[Kouros]

Hot brisket on a club roll with fried onions and horseradish gravy plus a side of well done steak fries courtesy of Kensington Kosher Deli, Great Neck NY:

 

[mouscacha]

Oh my good lord!!!

 

[highball]

Oh my good lord!!!

+1..
that sure looks good!

 

[The Knize]

EDIT: Did not mean for the second photo to come up so large!!! Sorry. How do I fix it?? It does look kind of cool I guess.]

I found a Washington Post article on Wagshal's smoked brisket, I do not think I had read before. He apparently was somewhat trying to recreate Montreal smoked meat, so my guess was sort of correct. Here is a photo, not the best:

Here is the article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010500858.html A link in the article has a detailed description of what all is done over the course of 7 weeks to make this stuff. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2010/01/05/GR2010010502390

Here's a photo from another article about Wagshal's smoked brisket.

Neither photo really captures the look of the stuff all that well. It sort of shines like the Montreal smoked meat seems to do in the photos. It does not have as firm a texture as most pastrami I have had and but is firmer and greasier, smokier looking than really good hot corned beef is.

By the way, the stuff they sell in bulk to go in in vacu-seal thick plastic that is supposedly to be heated up in a post of boiling water for 10-15 minutes. I thought it lost a lot from what it served hot at the sandwich counter. Seemed soggy and greasy boiled in the bad. Just sort of limp all around. I think I would violate Wagshal's suggestiions next time and heat it in a skillet. That is what Attman's in Baltimore says to do with its corned beef and its pastrimi, and their corned beef does great tha way.

I was thinking about the fact that pastrami is said to be smoked corn beef. I am puzzled by all of this! It is very hard to get anything like good corned beef in DC, whereas at leas this one guy is going something like pastrami that is excellent. His store sells corned beef for sure, and it is not terrible, but it is not really very good either.

Baltimore has several places where the corned beef it just as it should be--spectacular. And the half dills pickles are excellent, as are the knishes and the hot dogs. But the pastrami is only so-so! How come they can't do it all! I would think quality Jewish deli would just fly out the door of any place that good actually produce it!

 

[Jim]

Hot brisket on a club roll with fried onions and horseradish gravy plus a side of well done steak fries courtesy of Kensington Kosher Deli, Great Neck NY:

I had lunch here today-




Meh.

 

[damooshki]

Hot brisket on a club roll with fried onions and horseradish gravy plus a side of well done steak fries courtesy of Kensington Kosher Deli, Great Neck NY: