My family made pastrami from a combination of this recipe’s brining https://www.theroastedroot.net/how-to-make-pastrami-nitrate-free-paleo/ and https://toriavey.com/homemade-pastrami/ this recipe’s spice rub. The first batch was baked until >200F and the second was smoked until the same. I looked into pastrami cooking after the first batch, and now am concerned about possible botulism if I eat it (I had a small bite of the baked pastrami). Should I try to convince my family to discard the batch, or is this safe to eat? I’ve heard that cooking at 200 degrees fahrenheit denatures botulinium toxin, but I don’t know if there’s other risks I’m unaware of and want to confirm safety. I think it was brined for either 4 or 6 days if that helps.
by meatthrowaway1111111
1 Comment
Botulism is *only* a risk if spores (from the air or ground) can get into an anaerobic environment. Examples would be grinding meat and getting spores inside a sausage.
Oxygen continually present on the outside of a whole piece of meat prevents it from growing anywhere spores could’ve landed (only the outside because it’s a whole piece of meat). Other things that hinder growth are salt and acid and smoke and refrigeration to varying degrees. Was it kept refrigerated while brining?
Basically, if it was not vac-sealed and then stored at room temp for a while, there will be no risk. And even if it was, then you might look into the amount of salt and acid in it.
Yes, somewhere around 185F will start to denature the toxin, but from what you wrote, I’m sure it’s not an issue. There could be other pathogens potentially, but I can’t imagine botulism growing on what you described.