Homemade Pastrami Recipes

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 Reubens were originally made with corned beef, but there's no rule that you can't make one from pastrami.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!

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.

BIG DADDY'S HOMEMADE PASTRAMI

Steps:

• In a coffee grinder, add the peppercorns and coriander and grind until coarsely chopped. Set aside.
• In a large stock pot add all the brine ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let cool. Add the brisket to the brine and refrigerate overnight. Remove the brisket from the brine and pat dry. Cover liberally with the spice mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• On a sheet pan with a rack, arrange the brisket on the rack and roast until fork tender, about 4 hours. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

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.

NO-SMOKER PASTRAMI

Steps:

• Place brisket in a gallon-size zipper freezer bag and set aside in a bowl or a large plastic container. Combine 3 tablespoons smoked salt, kosher salt, the sugars, Prague powder, bay leaves, garlic, cloves, crushed pepper, allspice and 1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds in a large bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add 4 cups ice water to mixture, stir and pour into the bag with the meat. Add as much additional cold water as needed to fill the bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and place in the refrigerator still in its bowl or container. Keep refrigerated for 5 days.
• Remove meat from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Set meat on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Toast remaining coriander seeds and the mustard seeds in a dry skillet. Mix with the remaining smoked salt and crush all together. Add the coarse pepper. Press this spice mixture into the surface of the meat all over.
• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place a rack in a rimmed baking sheet and cover rack with a piece of heavy-duty foil large enough to enclose meat. Punch some holes in the bottom of the foil for draining. Place meat on foil, wrap tightly and place pan in oven for 12 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool before refrigerating. At this point, pastrami will keep 10 to 12 days in the refrigerator.
• To serve, place all or a portion of the meat, wrapped in foil, in a steamer basket over simmering water in a large pot. Steam until warm, 30 minutes. Slice thin and serve.

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 - NO SMOKER NEEDED

Steps:

• Trim fat layer of corned beef to 1/8 inch.
• Mix together coriander, paprika, and garlic powder.
• Sprinkle half of spice mixture on one side of meat. Sprinkle on half of red pepper flakes and cover with pepper.
• Press seasonings into the meat.
• Turn meat over and repeat on other side.
• Wrap tightly with a lightly oiled sheet of heavy duty foil.
• Place meat seam side down on another sheet of foil and wrap again tightly. Repeat 5 more times using 7 sheets of foil.
• Slow roast at 240°F for 5 hours
• Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Unwrap meat.
• If you like the coating, seal it on by baking at 400°F for 15 minutes.
• If you like your pastrami mild, you can scrape off the seasoning.
• Slice pastrami thinly at room temp or cooler.
• You can reheat in a frying pan with a few drops of water.