Smoked Corned Beef Point

Ok ok pastrami.

This ain't brisket but for a $5 St. Patty's Day special, it is the cheapest, best thing you can throw on your smoker.

The experience is not brisket, but corned beef, elevated.

Soaked for 6 hours, changing the water three times.

Rub was eyeballed. Pepper-heavy, with healthy shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Also used the seasoning packet that came in the package, which seemed to consist primarily of mustard seeds and a few rye seeds, among other spice cabinet detritus.

Smoked on the WSM with three big chunks of hickory. Had trouble controlling the temp because of wind, and it ran hot, about 260ish. Got to the stall at 165 in about an hour and a half. I let it go for another 90 minutes and the temp actually started dropping so I wrapped it and threw it in a 300 oven because by that time it was pouring cats and dogs. It was done about an hour later. Pulled it out at 205 and let it rest to 160 before slicing.

Was not dry at all. But like I said, this isn't like eating a brisket. It's like eating the best piece of corned beef you've ever had. Served it on rye with mustard, which was great, but muted the smoke a bit– kind of liked it better by itself. Paired great with garlic/truffle mashed potatoes and steamed kale spritzed with apple cider vinegar.

As a bonus, my wife, who is wary of meat that isn't incinerated while cooking and then irradiated before eating, didn't trust it because it was red. I explained that it was cooked 40 degrees past the FDA recommended temperature, and that the red color is part of the curing process, yadda yadda I have lunch meat for a week.

Highly recommend you grab a few and throw them in your freezer for dinner or lunch meat if you can still find them at the sale price.