Beefpastrami 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.

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.

HOT PASTRAMI SANDWICH

Steps:

• Heat a flattop grill or pan on medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Set the buttered side of bread on the flattop. Add provolone to one slice and Swiss to the other slice. Grill until bread is toasted and cheese has melted, approximately 5 minutes, then remove from the flattop. Meanwhile, place pastrami on the flattop in a pile and the sauerkraut on the flattop in a separate pile. Grill both until warm, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then flip and warm the other side. Add mayonnaise to both pieces of bread, then add mustard to one half. Place half the pastrami on one slice and the other half on the other slice. Add sauerkraut to one half and flip the other slice on top. Cut sandwich in half and enjoy!

BEEF PASTRAMI

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl combine the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, garlic and whole juniper berries.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat combine the water, brown sugar and salt.
• Bring to a boil.
• Stir to dissolve the sugar/salt mixture.
• Remove from heat and stir in the dry spice mixture.
• Steep for one hour.
• Place the brisket in a large freezer bag.
• Pour the brine into bag, press out air and seal.
• Refrigerate for 3 weeks, turning the brisket every three days, in my case when I think about it.
• Preheat your smoker.
• In a small bowl combine the crushed juniper berries and black pepper.
• Remove brisket from bag and discard brine.
• Lightly pat dry.
• Press firmly into one side of the meat 1/2 of the juniper/pepper mix.
• Turn and repeat.
• Place brisket in smoker and smoke for 4 hours.
• Remove from smoker and cool for 30 minutes.
• Place brisket in a large dutch oven.
• Cover with water and turn heat to medium high.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer, cooking for two hours.
• Remove from dutch oven and cool completely.
• At this point you can slice very thin and serve, or tightly wrap with plastic wrap, place in a freezer bag and refrigerate.

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.