Smoked Brisket Pastrami Recipes

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.

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.

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.

SOUS VIDE AND SMOKED EAST COAST PASTRAMI

Steps:

• Trim off the fat cap of the brisket and poke some holes in the meat with a paring knife.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot on the stovetop. Remove from heat; as it starts to cool down, add white sugar, kosher salt, garlic, and pink curing salt.
• Find a food-grade, nonreactive container with a lid; pour in brine and ice, then add the brisket. Keep brisket in brine for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Flip the brisket every 24 hours.
• After brining, pull the brisket out of the container and rinse under cold water.
• Heat a pan over low heat. Toast coriander seeds, peppercorns, and mustard seeds in the hot pan, about 2 minutes. Remove and transfer to a food processor; add red pepper flakes, cloves, ginger, and bay leaves. Grind well.
• Use 1/2 of the spice mixture to coat the brisket; seal in a food saver bag. Reserve remaining spice mixture. Place brisket in a sous vide at 137 degrees F (58 degrees C) for 18 hours.
• Remove from sous vide, cut open the bag, and set out to dry and rest on a wire rack from a smoker for 30 minutes. Use remaining pickling spices to re-coat the brisket.
• Place a wire rack into the smoker. Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions and heat to 225 degrees F (107 degrees C).
• Smoke brisket until browned, tender, and no longer pink in the center, about 5 hours. Pull brisket from the smoker and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

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.