I’m not Irish, but my better half would like me to prepare corned beef and cabbage for dinner Wednesday night with a few friends. I’ve eaten this concoction a number of time but never prepared it, nor do I particularly like it. I’m wondering if converting the corned beef to pastrami (soak, season, smoke and steam) and serving it hot with cabbage, potatoes and carrots would be an improvement over the traditional preparation (boil W/seasoning packet)? 

My mother used to make it when I was a kid.
Haven't had it in many many years.
Was buying some 50lb bags of flour from local Food Service Warehouse and noticed they had corned beef briskets for sale.
I was almost tempted to buy one, but resisted. Expensive $$$

Why not just cook the corned beef separate from the cabbage?

You also need to remember -->  "but my better half would like me to prepare corned beef and cabbage for dinner Wednesday night".   

Sorry no help.  We love corned beef cooked in the traditional manner -- boiled in the seasoning packet, then add red potatoes and right towards the end add the cabbage.  Good eats! 

But the way you are proposing sounds good and pretty much keeps with the spirit of the meal. Are you going to make soda bread too?

I enjoy good pastrami but I wont eat corned beef and cooked cabbage smells like sulphur to me. My Irish friends roll their eyes about the Irish traditions in the US... 

 Good luck with that one.   

Expensive $$$

Paid $3.99/lb.

Your plan will work fine and we all know will be delicious! 

Having said that, I would be somewhat bummed out if someone said I was having corned beef and cabbage and I got pastrami!  But like Kristin said we love the stuff.  Boiling the cabbage in the same water as the CB, I can taste the beef fat in the cabbage already!

I would be somewhat bummed out if someone said I was having corned beef and cabbage and I got pastrami! 

Nobody gets bummed out. I went back to the store and bought a second 4 lb. corned beef flat, one will be done via each method so they can have their choice , or try both. I trimmed off all of the visible fat from the one that Ill use for pastrami but will leave most of the fat on the boiled one. 

I would be in the try both camp!

For some reason, my wife thought today was St Patrick's Day so she made our meal tonight.  My parents called this cabbage and shells.  Butter fried cabbage, some onions, and some garlic mixed in with some shell pasta.

 [ Invalid Attachment ]

It doesn't matter what day it is to eat a great looking dish like that one. 

That looks quite tasty.

I enjoy good pastrami but I wont eat corned beef and cooked cabbage smells like sulphur to me. My Irish friends roll their eyes about the Irish traditions in the US... 

 Good luck with that one.   

Totally agree.   I am of Irish Italian descent and it was a tradition on St Patrick's Day as my father love it.  All I have to say is thank the good Lord my Mother new how to cook Italian.  To this day I will not eat cabbage unless it is in coleslaw

wow no cabbage love from Pelletfans?  I love the stuff.   

I purchased two prepackaged corned briskets, one flat, one point.  They aren't all that big, a few pounds each.  Been soaking for three days (otherwise they are too salty), will season with garlic powder, pepper and a dash of cumin.   Will smoke to 165 or so (might go 180, will see on tenderness).  It's not pastrami, it's not corned beef, but it's how I like it.   Will serve with the cabbage, red potatoes, onion, carrots, boiled with the seasoning packet I don't use on the brisket. 

That and a few Guinness and we've got our St. Patty's day.

DK

Pastrami version after soak, season and smoke to an IT =165° , it will now be cooled and placed into the refrigerator until ready to steam. I'll steam on the stove to an IT of 200°+ and serve. I've decided to cook the traditional version in the 8 qt. Insta Pot and keep it all warm in my chafing dishes. Carrots, potatoes and cabbage in one and both meats in the other.