HOMEMADE PASTRAMI

HOMEMADE PASTRAMI
If you like pastrami, there is nothing about this recipe you won't like.  When Olivia smoked a corned beef brisket for herself, she made one for me and I LOVED IT.  I initially used it for delicious sandwiches using Swiss cheese and marbled rye bread.  That was out of this world.  I found myself going back again and again to the leftover pastrami and cutting off a small piece for a snack.  The taste of the "crust" created by the rub is definitely addictive.

The recipe Olivia used came from www.heygrillhey.com.  She cheated slightly by using a store bought corned beef FLAT CUT  (not point).  This bypassed the brine step and went straight for the rub.  Olivia mixed the rub, let it sit overnight in the refrigerator on the corned beef, and then smoked it the next day.  It is really delicious and I guarantee you will like it.
-Nanette

Home Cured Corned Beef and Pastrami CourseMain Dish CuisineInternational Cuisine Servings Prep Time 8-10 people 15 minutes Passive Time 5-7 days

Ingredients

Corned Beef and Pastrami Brine

• 1 4-5 pound brisket flat
• 2 quarts water
• 1 quart apple juice
• 1 1/2 cups coarse Kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 5 teaspoons pink curing salt #2 also known as Prague Powder #2. Ask your butcher or order online.
• 3 Tablespoons pickling spice
• 1 quart ice

PASTRAMI RUB

• 2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 Tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 Tablespoon whole mustard seeds
• 2 Tablespoons coarse Kosher or sea salt
• 2 Tablepoons smoked paprika
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Servings: people

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, combine all of the ingredients for the brine except the ice. Bring to a boil and stir until all of the salt and sugar has dissolved in the brine. Remove from the heat and stir in the ice until the brine has cooled to room temperature.
2. Place the brisket in a large food-safe plastic container and pour over the cooled brine. Keep the brisket in the cure for 5-7 days, turning and stirring the brine mixture at least once per day.
3. Once the brisket is cured, you can prepare as corned beef (like in this recipe: http://heygrillhey.com/smoky-corned-beef-with-braised-vegetables/ ) or you can pastrami by following the rest of the instructions.
4. In a small saute pan over medium heat, combine the coriander seed, mustard seed, and peppercorns. Toast the spices for 2-3 minutes or until just fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder and pulse until well combined. Stir in the remaining rub ingredients.
5. Coat the cured brisket in the pastrami rub and wrap tightly. For best results, let the roast sit in the pastrami rub for 1-2 days. Preheat your smoker and cook at 250 degrees until the internal temperature reads 195 degrees. This typically takes anywhere from 6-8 hours. Wrap the smoked pastrami in plastic wrap and chill completely before slicing thin and stacking high on your favorite rye bread.