Danny Bowien's Pastrami

Name: Danny Bowien's Pastrami
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 15 to 20 servings
Ingredients: 1 5- to 8-pound point-cut corned beef (either red or gray); 1 cup spicy brown mustard; 1/2 cup Asian fish sauce; 1/2 cup salt; 1/2 cup ground black pepper; 1/2 cup brown sugar; Pickled mustard condiment, for serving (see recipe)

By Danny Bowien

Total Time: 1 hour, plus 48 hours’ soaking, drying and roasting
Rating: 4(203)
Comments: Read comments

I grew up in Oklahoma City, where barbecue and smoked meats are pretty much a prerequisite for family gatherings. And yet, like many families, Thanksgiving around my house included the traditional turkey and ham, which got a little boring. Pastrami brings something different to the table. The idea is to keep the prep simple; the meat takes a long time to cook, but once you have it in the oven or smoker, you don’t have to attend to it. It easily feeds a large crowd and, since it isn’t your typical Thanksgiving centerpiece, it will be a conversation starter. Serve it with plenty of hot mustard.

Featured in: A Chef Regains His Focus

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:15 to 20 servings

15- to 8-pound point-cut corned beef (either red or gray)
1cup spicy brown mustard
½cup Asian fish sauce
½cup salt
½cup ground black pepper
½cup brown sugar
Pickled mustard condiment, for serving (see recipe)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

Step 1
Two nights before serving, place the corned beef in a large pot and cover with water. Refrigerate and soak for 24 hours, changing the water every four hours if possible.
Step 2
The night before serving, in a small bowl, mix the spicy brown mustard and fish sauce, and rub all over the meat. In another bowl, mix the salt, pepper and brown sugar. Sprinkle evenly all over the meat; do not rub it in. Place the meat on a rack placed over a baking sheet, and refrigerate uncovered for about 12 hours or overnight.
Step 3
Very early in the morning, remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow to rest for 1 hour to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat an oven to 200 degrees; or if you have a smoker, set it to 212 degrees.
Step 4
Heat a grill or large grill pan until very hot, about 10 minutes; if using an indoor grill or pan, make sure the room is well ventilated. Place the meat on the grill or pan fat side down, and allow it to sear on one side for 2 minutes. Continue turning and searing on each side — including the ends — for 2 minutes a side. Repeat for a second searing on each side; the meat should have a hard sear with grill marks. (If you are using a smoker, there’s no need to sear the meat first.)
Step 5
Wrap the meat well in aluminum foil and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 12 hours; the finished meat should jiggle. (If you are using a smoker, do not wrap the meat in foil. Smoke for about 10 hours.)
Step 6
Remove the foil from the meat and raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. When the oven is heated, return the meat to the oven and allow to roast until the crust is blackened and firm but still gives to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the pickled mustard condiment spooned on the side.

Ratings

4 out of 5

203 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Jake6 years ago

If you don't want to go with store-bought corned beef, and don't have 10 days to make your own, don't worry! I have made this recipe twice with brisket that I just gave an overnight brine in salt, mustard seeds, and brown sugar. If you are brining for this short, you can skip the first step (meant to desalinate a heavily brined beef), just pull it out of the brine, give it rub, 12 hrs fridge, etc etc. Still absolutely perfect.

Mark7 years ago

So I am confused. I just spent 10 days making my corn beef, and now I have to seal for 24 hours and cook it another 12 hours? But its already been cooked? Corned Beef is a finished product yet I get the impression from this recipe that there is some kind of uncooked corn beef? I find the instructions here very unclear.

George7 years ago

I have not made this yet, but want to. In looking through the video and instructions, I think the recipe is to start with a corned brisket, meaning a piece that has already been brined with spices. You can buy this or make it yourself, but it is not cooked. For traditional Irish corned beef or a New England boiled beef dinner, you simmer it until done. The 24 hr treatment is to get that pepper crust, not to season the interior. You then do the slow roast to get it tender.

jeff davidson1 year ago

wonderful video!

Edvige3 years ago

Served this for St Pattys day using a 5 lb corned beef. I halved the mustard sauce and spice rub and still had leftovers. After 12 hours in the oven a whole bunch of liquid collected in the pan and the meat wasn’t as tender as I hoped. Still good, but wondering if wrapping it tighter in foil would have contained the juices thus yielding a softer meat, or maybe there wasn’t enough fat on the cut I bought. Everyone loved it anyway and it just fed 10 people.

Luther4 years ago

5 stars not enough. FANTASTIC! Corned my own brisket and then proceeded to this recipe. Only change was not using fish sauce because of previous brining and not soaking, again because of brining. Have a smoker but decided to go the slow cook via convection oven @ 215 degrees. 12 hours then 450 for 7 minutes. Looked exactly as shown in video. Pickled mustard puts flavor over the top. Melts in your mouth. No pastrami out there that can touch this. Not enough superlatives. Thanks much Mr. Bowien!

Private comments are only visible to you.