Smoked Corned Beef With Pastrami Rub Recipes

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!

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.

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.

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.

SMOKED CORNED BEEF BRISKET

Steps:

• Combine coriander, fennel seeds, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard seed in a small bowl.
• Place brisket in a glass baking dish and rub spice mixture all over. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
• Soak wood chips in water for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat a smoker to 240 degrees F (116 degrees C) according to manufacturer's instructions. Maintain temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Drain wood chips and place on coals. Place a water pan on the smoker and add water to the depth of the fill line. Place brisket on the lower cooking grate and cover with the smoker lid. Smoke for 2 hours.
• Pull brisket from the smoker and wrap tightly in foil. Return to the smoker until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 190 to 200 degrees F (88 to 93 degrees C), about 3 hours.
• Remove brisket from the smoker and let rest for 40 minutes. Slice corned beef against the grain.

HOMEMADE SMOKED PASTRAMI RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the brisket under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim all but 1/4 inch of the fat cap off. Remove any stringy silver skin from the flesh side.
• In a pot over medium-high, place 4 cups of the water, the salt, and the sugar. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Allow this to cool. In a large container with a lid place the salted water, remaining water, onion, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and pink salt. Submerge the brisket in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 6 days, turning once a day for even brining.
• The morning of day 6 remove the brisket from the brine. Discard the brine. Rinse the brisket very well under cold running water to remove much of the salt. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Place the brisket on a sheet tray and set aside to come to room temperature.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry rub ingredients. Coat the entire brisket with the rub and press it into the meat with your hands.
• Fill the bowl of your smoker halfway with water. Add wood chips to the side tray. Preheat the smoker to 225°F with the top vent open.
• Place the brisket, fat side up, on a rack inside the smoker. Smoke the brisket until a dark crust forms and the internal temperature reads between 175°F and 185°F, approximately 6 to 7 hours. Replenish the wood chips and water approximately every 60 minutes.
• Wrap the brisket in aluminum foil or 2 layers of butcher's paper and continue to smoke to an internal temperature of 190°F to 195°F, approximately 1 to 2 more hours. Check with a reliable digital meat thermometer or the probe thermometer that is attached to your smoker.
• Transfer the cooked and covered pastrami to a cutting board and allow to rest for 1 to 2 hours. Slice thinly against the grain. Serve with cole slaw and pickles or make into a pastrami melt sandwich. (Recipe follows).