Pastrami Recipes

EASY HOMEMADE PASTRAMI

Steps:

• Mix garlic and vegetable oil in a small bowl. Set aside for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
• Combine black pepper, paprika, coriander, dry mustard, white pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Cover a baking sheet with a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Coat aluminum foil with prepared garlic oil. Lay corned beef brisket on foil and brush with remaining garlic oil.
• Cover all sides of corned beef brisket completely with pepper mixture, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons.
• With fat side of corned beef brisket up, wrap in the sheet of aluminum foil. Place wrapped corned beef on another sheet of aluminum foil with the seam and fat side down. Place double-wrapped corned beef on a third sheet of aluminum foil (seam down), and wrap again.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 6 hours.
• Remove pastrami from the oven and let cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.
• With pastrami still wrapped in aluminum foil, place in a freezer bag or other plastic bag and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Remove pastrami from refrigerator, unwrap, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of remaining pepper mixture.
• Place pastrami in the oven, 6 to 8 inches below broiler heat. Broil briefly to brown surface, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pastrami from the oven and slice thinly, about 1/8-inch slices.
• Heat a large skillet over low heat.
• Heat pastrami slices in the skillet with a few drops of water until fat begins to turn from white to translucent, about 5 minutes.

SIMPLE AND SMOKY HOMEMADE PASTRAMI RECIPE

Steps:

• Prep the corned beef. Buy or make corned beef. For pastrami, the flat section of the brisket is favored by many because it makes nice even slices for sandwiches, but I prefer the point section of the brisket because it is fattier, richer, and more tender. It can also be made from flank steak, or leaner cuts, or even from boneless short plate (rib meat). Remove all of the fat cap and if there is any filmy membrane on the other side, remove it all.
• Desalinate. Put the corned beef in a pot slightly larger than the meat and cover it with cold water in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Change the water at least once. This removes excess salt. Trust me, you need to do this or you will be gulping water all night after your meal.
• Rub. Make the rub. Rinse the meat, and while it is damp, apply the rub liberally and press it into the surface to help it adhere.
• Fire up. Set up your grill in 2 zones for smoking or set up your smoker. Preheat to 225°F. Pick your wood. I don't think it makes a huge difference with all the other flavors banging around in there. My best batch was with cherry wood.
• Cook. Place the meat on the smoker or on the indirect heat side of the grill. You only need to smoke it with indirect heat until it reaches the stall at about 160°F and the crust is brown. Then wrap it tightly in foil and roast it up to 203°F. This is called the Texas Crutch and it does wonders. It significantly reduces cooking time and makes the end product much more tender and juicy.
• Slicing. Slicing is crucial to maximize tenderness. Look at the meat and notice which way the grain is running. Cut it by hand in thin slices, about 1/8" thick, perpendicular to the grain. If you cut parallel to the grain it will be much chewier. Don't try to slice it with a machine. It will just fall apart.
• Serve. I serve the homemade smoked pastrami on fresh untoasted rye bread. A good brown mustard on both slices is all it needs. If you want, you can make a Rockin' Pastrami Reuben with sauerkraut, melted swiss, and thousand island or Russian dressing, or beter still, my famous Burger Glop. Reubens were originally made with corned beef, but there's no rule that you can't make one from pastrami. In fact, I prefer it.Leftovers freeze well and they can be reheated in the microwave or steamed. They can also be made into a killer hash. Ess, bench, sei a mensch!

KATZ'S DELI PASTRAMI RUB RECIPE

Steps:

• Prep. Begin by crushing the seeds. If you wish, you can use only powdered coriander, ground black pepper, and ground mustard, but I like using some whole seeds. If you are using some whole seeds, pour them into a zipper bag and smash them with the bottom of a sauce pan so they are "cracked" but not completely powdered.
• Mix. Blend together all the spices.
• Use. Once prepared, either store the rub in a jar or other airtight container or use it to prepare Katz's Delicatessen quality pastrami as seen in this video.

PRIMETIME PASTRAMI

Steps:

• For the brine: In a large stockpot, add half of the water, the brown sugar, kosher salt, curing salt, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, juniper berries, chile flakes, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and star anise and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining water with some ice to chill the brine.
• For the rub: Grind the peppercorns, coriander and juniper until crushed but still a little chunky. Add to a mixing bowl. Add the salt, brown sugar, chile flakes and granulated garlic and stir to combine.
• For the pastrami: First, clean all the fat off the brisket including the "V" between the two muscles, then follow the fat between the two muscles and separate them making a flat and a cap.
• Transfer the brine to a large hotel pan or roasting pan. Add the brisket and refrigerate at least 5 days and no more than 10 days. Make sure the brisket is stirred once a day to get an evenly brined brisket.
• After a minimum of 5 days, prepare a smoker for 225 degrees F.
• Remove the pastrami, rinse it and blot dry with paper towels. Thoroughly rub the brined brisket with the pastrami rub. Place in smoker and cook for 8 hours until the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

HOMEMADE PASTRAMI

Steps:

• In a food-safe container large enough to hold the brisket, whisk the sea salt, sugars, honey, curing salt, garlic, and mustard and coriander seeds with 6-1/3 cups warm water to dissolve the salt and sugar. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Rinse the brisket, and then submerge it in the brine. Weigh the brisket down with a plate or a bowl to make sure it stays completely submerged. Refrigerate for 7 days, agitating the brine and turning the brisket every other day.
• Remove the brisket from the brine, pat it dry, and put it on a large baking sheet. Coat evenly on all sides with the peppercorns and coriander. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours to air-dry the surface.
• Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for indirect cooking over low heat (200°F to 275°F) or prepare a smoker according to manufacturer's directions. Add half of the hickory chips to the coals or to a smoker box. Place the brisket fat side up on the cooler side of the grill, cover, and cook until it registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, 4 to 6 hours, adding the other half of the hickory chips halfway through. Let cool.
• To serve, slice the pastrami thinly against the grain. To reheat, steam slices in a vegetable steamer until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, microwave slices on high in 15-second bursts until warm.

HOMEMADE PASTRAMI RUB RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine all of these ingredients together into a bowl until you have an even blend.
• Transfer the contents to an air-tight container so that you can preserve the seasonings' flavors for as long as possible.

HOMEMADE PASTRAMI

Steps:

• In pot large enough to hold brisket, combine 1 gallon/4 liters of water with kosher salt, sugar, sodium nitrite (if using), garlic and 2 tablespoons pickling spice. Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
• Place brisket in brine, weighted with a plate to keep it submerged; cover. Refrigerate for 2 days if it's thin, a third day if it's thick.
• Remove brisket from brine and rinse thoroughly. Refrigerate it for another day uncovered (this is best, to let cure equalize, but if you can't wait, that's ok too).
• Combine the pepper and coriander and coat the brisket with it. Smoke and cook the brisket, till tender, as described above. This will keep for a week in the refrigerator. Steam it to reheat or reheat covered in a microwave (gently). Slice thinly to serve.

PASTRAMI

Steps:

• Clean a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat, such as a large glass container.
• Mix the Prague Powder #1, brown sugar, pickling spices and garlic cloves. Add to the water and stir until the powder and ground ingredients are dissolved.
• Add the meat to the curing solution. Since it will probably float to the surface, use a glass or plastic bowl filled with brine on top of the meat until it submerges.
• Make sure there is enough brine to cover the meat by at least 1 inch. Refrigerate.
• Let it cure for at least 4 days (ideally 6), depending on the thickness of the meat. Move the meat every day to stir up the curing solution.
• At the end of the brining, the outer layer of the meat will be light gray. The inside should look just like raw meat, slightly pinker.
• Toast the coriander and mustard seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Grind the seeds with a mortar with a pestle or in a spice grinder until you have a rough sandy texture.
• Combine the ground spices with the pepper, paprika, salt, sugar, and garlic.
• Desalinate by placing the corned beef in a pot slightly larger than the meat and cover it with cold water in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
• Rinse the meat, and place it on a large plate.
• Apply the spice rub generously. Press the rub onto the meat surface so that it can adhere. Use less rub on thin parts of the meat cut.
• Place the plate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 days uncovered.
• Preheat the smoker to 225 F / 107 C. Use any wood, such as cherry wood.
• Place the meat in the smoker. Smoke the with indirect heat until it reaches about 160 F / 70 C.
• If you do not steam the smoked meat right away, wrap in foil and and keep it refrigerated for up to a week.
• In a large steamer (or in a large pot or pan with a wire rack), place the meat, making sure that the meat is not in contact with the water.
• Put the steamer on the stove at low to medium heat. Steam for two hours or until the meat is heated through to 203 F / 95 C. Add hot water as needed, to make sure the steamer never dries out.
• For a firm crust, place on a hot grill, in the oven or under the broiler for a few minutes.
• Cut the meat by hand with a sharp knife in thin slices, about ½ inch thick, perpendicular to the grain.
• Spread brown mustard on two slices of untoasted rye bread.
• Serve pastrami between the slices of rye bread, with pickles and coleslaw on the side.

HOMEMADE PASTRAMI

Steps:

• To make the brine, fill a medium to large stockpot with 3 quarts water. Add the kosher and pink salts, granulated sugar, pickling spice, coriander and mustard seeds, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often to fully dissolve the salt and sugar in the water. Immediately remove the pot from the heat once the brine boils.Add 3 quarts ice cold water to a 2-gallon or larger food-safe container that will fit in your refrigerator (you can also use a strong sealing 2-gallon marination bag - double bag for extra insurance). Pour the brine into the container and place it uncovered in the refrigerator until completely cool. You can also divide the brine evenly between two separate containers so that it will fit better in the refrigerator.
• Trim the fat from the brisket until the fat layer is about 1/4 inch thick.
• If necessary, cut the brisket in half so that it will fit into your container(s).
• Submerge the brisket in the cooled brine.Allow the brisket to brine in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 days, flipping it daily top to bottom and stirring the brine. Make sure that if any of the brisket sides are touching one another you regularly turn them away from each other to expose all of the sides to the brine.
• To cook the brisket, pour 4 cups water into the bottom of a 12 by 15 inch roasting pan. Set a rack inside the pan and place the brisket on the rack, fatty side down.
• To make the spice rub, mix together the coriander, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Evenly rub 1/4 cup of the mixture onto the top of the brisket. Then flip the brisket and rub the remaining spice mixture onto the fatty side. Allow the brisket to come to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees with a rack low enough to fit the pan holding the brisket. Tightly cover the brisket and pan with a double layer of aluminum foil.
• Bake until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees, about 1 hour per pound or 5 hours total. Start checking internal temp at 3 hours and periodically every 20-30 minutes or so to avoid overcooking.
• Without trimming the fat, carve the pastrami into 1/4 inch thick slices, or cut as thin as possible without the meat falling apart. Keep tightly wrapped, or in a sealed container in the fridge, for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• SAFETY NOTE: handle the pink curing salt with care and keep it out of reach of children. It is used in pastrami and other cured meats to kill bacteria, prevent botulism and add flavor. However it is extremely toxic if ingested directly; in fact, it's colored pink to prevent people from mistaking it for regular salt. When used with care in recipes like this, it is very safe and necessary for proper flavor and food safety. That said, you should know the risks and keep the curing salt properly labeled and out of the reach of children.

PASTRAMI-RUBBED BRISKET

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat by building the coals on one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 225 to 250 degrees F. Alternatively, set up your offset smoker. Build a fire with apple and cherry wood in the firebox and allow the temperature to reach 225 to 250 degrees F and the smoke to begin to run clear.
• Clean the brisket by trimming the fat cap, creating a fatty and lean side. Trim the fat on the point down to about 1/2 inch. Trim the fat on top of the flat end down to about 1/4 inch. Flip the brisket over and remove any silver skin and sinew from the meat. You will lose around 2 pounds from trimming.
• Place the fat you have trimmed into a small pan and place on the smoker or grill to render. You will use it later to brush the brisket before wrapping.
• To make the pastrami spice, add the coriander seeds, black pepper, salt, mustard seeds, chili flakes and sumac to a small bowl and mix to combine. In a spray bottle, combine the apple cider and Worcestershire sauce.
• Coat the entire brisket with the mustard, then liberally season on all sides with the pastrami spice. Spray it with the apple cider mixture.
• Place the brisket on the indirect side of the grill with the fat side facing down. If using the smoker, place the brisket with the fattiest part of the brisket pointed towards the fire. Place a thermometer in the fattest part of the brisket, close the lid and cook, misting the brisket every 30 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 6 hours.
• Brush the brisket with the rendered fat and wrap it in peach butcher paper. Place back onto the indirect heat on the grill or smoker and continue to cook until an internal temperature of 205 degrees is reached, about 3 more hours.
• Remove from the grill and let rest for at least 1 hour before separating the flat (lean brisket) from the point (fatty brisket). Slice against the grain and serve.

SMOKED BRISKET PASTRAMI RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 gallon of water, Kosher Salt, Sugar, and pink salt in a large stock pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a slight boil and add the pickling spice and garlic. Stir the mixture to ensure the sugar and salt dissolve and remove from heat. Pour in the remaining 1/2 gallon of water and allow the mixture to cool.
• Trim excess fat from the whole brisket and place in a XL Ziplock Bag. Pour the brine mixture over the brisket and squeeze all of the air out of the bag. Secure the top of the bag with a zip tie. Make sure the brisket is completely submerged in the brine solution.
• Place the bag in a large plastic container and refrigerate for 5 nights (check on the brisket daily to make sure it is submerged). On the 6th day remove it from the brine and pat off any excess seasoning. Place the brisket on a raised rack in a large pan and allow it to air dry in the refrigerator.
• Prepare smoker for indirect cooking at 275 degrees with pecan wood added to the hot coals for smoke flavor.
• Combine the black pepper, garlic, coriander, mustard, and onion in a jar. Season all sides of the brisket with the seasoning mixture.
• Place the brisket on the pit and smoke for 5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches around 165 degrees.
• Wrap the brisket in butcher paper (non-waxed) and place it back on the pit. Insert a meat probe into the center of the flat to monitor internal temperature.
• Continue to cook the brisket until it reaches 202-204 degrees or when a meat probe slides into the brisket with no resistance.
• Rest it in a dry cooler lined with old towels for 1.5 - 2 hours before slicing.