Homemade pastrami

Name: Homemade pastrami
Prep time: 5 d
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 5 d 6 h
Yield: 10 serving
Ingredients: 2.25 kg | 5 pounds flat brisket; 1 x 10 litre container; 4 cups Wood chips; 1 large roasting tray with a rack; Foil; 5 litres | quarts hot water; 30 g | 2 tbsp Prague Powder no 1; 600 g | 1 pound 5 oz salt; 250 g | 9oz brown sugar; 2 tbsp ground black peppercorns; 2 tbsp ground coriander seeds; 2 tbsp allspice; 1 tbsp ground ginger; 2 bay leaves; 2 thyme sprigs; 30 g | 1/4 cup tbsp black peppercorns; 2 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tbsp Demerara; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 1/2 tsp garlic granules; 1 tsp mustard powder; 1 tsp ancho chilli powder; rye bread; mustard; Pickles; Sauerkraut

User Reviews

4.8

24 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 d
Cook Time
6 hrs
Additional Time
3 hrs
Total Time
5 d 6 hrs
Servings
10
Course
Lunch
Cuisine
American

Homemade pastrami

Shawn Wheeler

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Making your homemade pastrami is a week-long labour of love but the delicious results are very rewarding! Read on to see how to make pastrami at home with or without a smoker.

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Ingredients

Servings

You will need

2.25 kg | 5 pounds flat brisket
1 x 10 litre container
4 cups Wood chips (Oak or Alder)
1 large roasting tray with a rack
Foil

For the brine

5 litres | quarts hot water
30 g | 2 tbsp Prague Powder no 1
600 g | 1 pound 5 oz salt
250 g | 9oz brown sugar
2 tbsp ground black peppercorns
2 tbsp ground coriander seeds
2 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs

For the spice rub

30 g | 1/4 cup tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp Demerara (Turbinado) sugar
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ancho chilli powder

To serve

rye bread
mustard
Pickles
Sauerkraut

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Instructions

STAGE 1: Brining (4 days)

Combine all the brine ingredients with hot water in a suitable container and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Leave to cool.
Immerse the brisket in the cold brine. Weigh it down to make sure it stays submerged (I used an inverted lid).
Place the container in the fridge and store for four days, flipping over daily.

STAGE 2: Rinsing and soaking (2-3 hours)

If you are using corned beef start the recipe from this step onwards.
Remove the brisket and rinse really well with cold water. Discard the brine and fill the container with cold water and immerse the brisket again. Leave to soak for 2 hours, replacing the water every half hour. Don’t forget this step or your pastrami may be too salty.

STAGE 3: Adding spice rub (8 hours /overnight)

Put all the ingredients for the spice rub in a spice grinder, pestle and mortar or mini food processor and grind until you have a slightly coarse rub.
Pat the brisket dry with paper towels. Rub the brisket with the spice run, pressing down on the surface so it adheres. Carefully transfer to a large tray and leave in the fridge overnight. You can tent the brisket with foil but don’t wrap it or the spice run will fall off.

STAGE 4: Smoking (oven method) 5-6 hours

Take the brisket out of the fridge and leave to come to room temperature for 2 hours. Mix your wood chips with plenty of water and leave to soak.
Line a deep roasting tray with foil, letting it some length of it hang over the sides. Make sure there aren’t any gaps by overlapping lengths of foil.
Preheat the oven to 120°C (245°F) and place the shelf on the bottom rack.
Line the bottom of the tray with the soaked wood chips. Turn the rack over so that it is raised over the wood chips by a few inches. Place the brisket fat side up on the rack.
Bring the overhanging foil over the top to create a sort of tent, to allow the smoke to circulate. Crimp the edges so that it is airtight.
Place the tray on the stove and heat on medium-high for five minutes to start the smoking process. There won’t be a lot of smoke (or any if you have done a thorough job with the foil). You will hear the steam inside, don’t be tempted to open to look.
Place in the oven and smoke for 4-6 hours, or until the brisket registers 70°C (160°F) on your Thermapen.

STAGE 5: Steaming (2-3 hours)

Now you have two options – if you have 2-3 hours you can steam your brisket now. If not, you can cool the brisket and store in the fridge to steam the following day.
Remove from the tray, wrap loosely with foil and store in the fridge. Discard the foil and wood chips and clean your roasting tray and rack.
When you are ready to steam the brisket, preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Place the rack over the roasting tin and position the brisket over it, fat side up.
Fill the roasting tin with boiling water until it comes halfway up the thickest side of the brisket. Cover the roasting tray tightly with two layers of foil, leaving a little space over the brisket.
Steam in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the pastrami registers 70°C (160°F) on your Thermapen. Leave to stand for 10-15 minutes.
Use a sharp knife and cut into thin slices, cutting against the grain.
Serve over rye bread smeared with mustard and top with pickles.