Pastrami Fajitas Recipes

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:

• 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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

PASTRAMI FAJITAS

Steps:

• Slice pastrami, peppers, cabbage, and zucchini into thin strips.
• chop mushrooms.
• heat oils in nonstick copper pan on medium. Add cabbage, lemon-pepper and Italian seasonings. Cook 3 minutes covered, toss occasionally. Add peppers cook 3 minutes more covered tossing occasionally. Add Zucchini cook 2-3 minutes covered tossing occasionally. Add Pastrami cook 2 -3 minutes keep covered tossing occasionally. Turn off heat add spinach, toss. Cover for 30 seconds, toss, cover for 1 minute more.
• Roll 6 ounces of this mixture into a Multi-grain Flat Bread Wrap or in a Multi-grain Tortilla warmed. Serve plain or with a dipping sauce such as Fat-Free Greek Yogurt lime zest. Makes 3 6 ounce servings .

BEEF FAJITA RECIPE

Steps:

• The type of Beef you purchase is critical to the recipe. If you can find it, go with INSIDE SKIRT STEAK. This cut is similar to flank steak, but the flavor is better due to more fat. If you can't find inside skirt steak, go with skirt steak and then flank steak if that's the only option.
• MAKING THE MARINADE
• In a wide bowl, mix all of the beef fajita marinade ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together until the ingredients are broken up and it's a smooth texture.
• Take the beef fajita meet and submerge into the bowl, make sure it is fully submerged on all parts of the beef.
• Cover and put in the refrigerator 4 - 6 hours.
• GRILLING THE BEEF FAJITAS
• After the time in the marinade, remove the meat and drain the excess marinade from the meat (no need to rinse).
• Heat your grill or ceramic cooker to 375 degrees. We highly recommend getting a cast iron grate or griddle to cook beef fajitas on. This will add a nice char bark to the fajitas and add great flavor.
• Cook on each side 3 minutes. If they need more time, go 2 minutes per side until they are done.
• Let rest at least 5 minutes, slice and serve!