Pastrami Rub Recipes

PASTRAMI RUB

Steps:

• Remove brisket from brining bucket. Run under cold water to remove any excess spice or solution. Pat down with paper towel.
• Mix black pepper and coriander in small bowl.
• Apply a thin layer of yellow mustard across surface of brisket, on all sides.
• Apply seasoning mix liberally across all sides of the brisket.

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.

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.

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!

PASTRAMI SPICE RUB RECIPE

Steps:

• Using tongs, burn the cinnamon sticks over an open flame for 5 to 10 seconds. Alternatively, place the sticks on a sheet pan and char them with a blowtorch. Then, in a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the torched cinnamon sticks with the nutmeg.
• Add the remaining ingredients and continue to pound the spices until coarsely ground. Use immediately or store the rub in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 year.

SMOKED CORNED BEEF WITH PASTRAMI RUB RECIPE

Steps:

• Remove the corned beef from the package and rinse under cool running water. In a large baking dish or pot, place the beef and cover with filtered water. Allow the beef to soak in order to remove the salt for 2 hours. Change the water at 60 minutes.
• Remove a rack from your smoker and place it on a counter with paper towels beneath it. Give one last rinse in cool running water to the brisket and pat dry with clean paper towels. Place the corned beef, fat side up, on the rack and allow it to air dry while making your rub and preparing your smoker.
• Mix the pepper, coriander, paprika, brown sugar, onion and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Rub all surfaces of the beef with the wet mustard. Pat the dry rub into the mustard to completely cover the brisket. The mustard will help the rub to adhere to the beef and add a great deal of flavor. Allow the dressed corned beef to rest on the rack while you prepare your smoker.
• Electric Smoker: Fill the water bowl halfway with equal parts water and ale. Add wood chips to the side tray. Close the door. Open the top vent and preheat the smoker to 225°F.
• Charcoal Smoker: Soak your wood chips in water for 30 to 60 minutes. Place coals on one side of the smoker or grill and fire it up. I recommend using a charcoal chimney to light the coals. Add a loaf style, disposable foil pan half filled with equal amounts of water and ale to the cool side of the smoker, where the meat will cook indirectly. Add some of the soaked wood chips to the hot coals or place them in a foil packet with a few holes in the top. Close the lid and open the top vent. Preheat the smoker to 225°F. Alternatively, use a Masterbuilt charcoal smoker that has a built-in water bowl and a charcoal pan.
• Place the rack with the prepared corned beef brisket in the smoker. It should be offset from the coals in a charcoal grill/smoker. If your smoker has a digital probe thermometer insert it into the thicker portion of the meat. Place the lid on or close the door and set the timer for 1 hour. At 1 hour check the water bowl/pan, wood chip supply, and coals. Replenish these if needed and continue to smoke for 3 more hours, checking every 60 minutes for replenishing of liquid, chips, and coals. Be sure to keep checking the thermometer. You want the beef to read between 185°F and 195°F internally.
• Note: Some recipes will say the beef is finished at 160°F. That is a fine temperature for softer cuts of beef. However, this semi-tough cut of meat really benefits from longer cooking and a higher finishing temperature.
• Remove the corned beef to a cutting board and tent it with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest covered for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 2 hours before slicing and serving. This allows for the juices to get reabsorbed by the muscle fibers.
• Slice and serve in a sandwich or with boiled potatoes and cabbage. A New York deli style pastrami sandwich recipe follows. If you have lots of leftovers, it helps to lightly steam the pastrami slices before making sandwiches the next day. Or, you can freeze the leftovers.

PASTRAMI RUB

Steps:

• Combine coriander seeds , peppercorns and mustard seeds in a spice grinder. Grind coarsely.
• Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Rub is now ready to use. It may be stored, refrigerated in an airtight container. Get step-by-step instructions for making pastrami .

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

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.

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.

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.