Pastrami Making

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If you have made corned beef before, pastrami making should be no issue for you. The main difference between corned beef and pastrami is the cooking method. Corned beef is boiled after it’s taken out of the cure, normally with some onions and other condiments, depending on where you are located. Pastrami is rubbed with a spice mix then hot smoked for a period of time until cooked.

For this one I used 2 different cuts of meat. The first being a blade roast and the second being a brisket. hands down the brisket was the juiciest of both due to the fat content.

Ingredients:

2.5KG roast

200gm – Kosher Salt

130gm brown sugar

5gm – Cure #1

80gm – Pastrami Seasoning

Picking Spices

2 tbsp – Chilli flakes

2 tbsp – peppercorns,

2 tbsp – mustard seeds,

2 tbsp – coriander seeds,

2 tbsp – clove,

2 tbsp – mace

Pastrami Seasoning

2 tbsp – Yellow Mustard seeds

2 tbsp – Coriander seeds

2 tbsp – Coarsely ground black pepper

1 tbsp – Smoked paprika

½ tsp – Brown Sugar

½ tsp – Garlic Powder

Mixing Pastrami Seasoning Method:

Toast coriander and mustard seeks in a dry skillet over a medium heat until fragrant and popping, no more than 3 min.

Grind the seeds in a mortar with a pestle until you have a rough sandy texture

Combine the remaining spices with the ground spices (pepper, paprika, salt, sugar, and garlic)

Method:

Prepare your pickling spices, add kosher salt, sugar and curing salt.
Combine with 4 litres of water in a large pot. Stir well. Place on a stove on a low heat and continue stirring until all salt and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Place your brisket in with the brine an ensure it is fully submerged, you may need to place a weight on top of it to ensure it stays submerged. Store in the refrigerator for around 7 days.
Remove from the brine and rinse with cold water to ensure all spices have been removed. in a container of fresh cold water soak the meat for a further 60 min. This will help reduce some of the saltiness. Remove from water and pat dry then coat with your Pastrami Seasoning.
Place in smoker at 110c for around 3 – 4 hours, until the meat reaches an internal temp of 70c
Remove from the smoker and wrap tightly with foil.
Return to the smoker and cook until the meat reaches an internal temp of 94c. This will take between 3 – 4 hours
Allow brisket to rest in the foil for around 1 hour before slicing. Store in the fridge. It will last around 10 days.