No-Smoker Pastrami
- Total Time
- 14 hours, plus 5 days' brining
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 14 to 5-pound piece of brisket, flat or point cut
- 4½tablespoons smoked salt
- ⅔cup kosher salt
- ½cup granulated sugar
- ½cup light brown sugar
- 4teaspoons Prague powder No. 1 (curing salt)
- 2bay leaves
- 6cloves garlic, smashed
- 3whole cloves
- 1tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
- 1teaspoon crushed allspice
- 5tablespoons crushed coriander seeds
- 3tablespoons black mustard seeds
- ½cup coarsely ground black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
555 calories; 39 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 32 grams protein; 454 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place brisket in a gallon-size zipper freezer bag and set aside in a bowl or a large plastic container. Combine 3 tablespoons smoked salt, kosher salt, the sugars, Prague powder, bay leaves, garlic, cloves, crushed pepper, allspice and 1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds in a large bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add 4 cups ice water to mixture, stir and pour into the bag with the meat. Add as much additional cold water as needed to fill the bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and place in the refrigerator still in its bowl or container. Keep refrigerated for 5 days.
- Step 2
Remove meat from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Set meat on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Toast remaining coriander seeds and the mustard seeds in a dry skillet. Mix with the remaining smoked salt and crush all together. Add the coarse pepper. Press this spice mixture into the surface of the meat all over.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place a rack in a rimmed baking sheet and cover rack with a piece of heavy-duty foil large enough to enclose meat. Punch some holes in the bottom of the foil for draining. Place meat on foil, wrap tightly and place pan in oven for 12 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool before refrigerating. At this point, pastrami will keep 10 to 12 days in the refrigerator.
- Step 4
To serve, place all or a portion of the meat, wrapped in foil, in a steamer basket over simmering water in a large pot. Steam until warm, 30 minutes. Slice thin and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
I started brining this last Monday. Cooked it most of Saturday. Tonight we ate the best pastrami sandwich I’ve had in a long long time. This recipe is a keeper. Very authentic.
This recipe absolutely nails the flavor of pastrami. Made sure to ask the butcher for a piece with an extra large fat cap. I used spice world tellicherry pepper and it was way too peppery to leave it untrimmed after cooking - will try a different pepper brand or just lower the amount in the coating next time. We LOVED it. Definitely steam it to reheat it. For a 4 pound brisket we cooked for 10 hours and it was perfect. Will definitely make this again and again.
Made this with a 2 lb brisket and it came out great. Would roast it a bit less.
I had a full 18-lb packer cut that I butchered into three pieces — the point and I cut the flat in half as it was pretty massive. I also trimmed the thickest part of the fat cap down to 1/4 inch and cut away the deckle, to make sure the brine got to the greatest amount of surface area. It was completely submerged in the brine for 5-1/2 days but when I removed it from the brine, one of the flats had the nice pink color I was expecting, but the the other two pieces had large areas that were brown/grey. My guess is that I undersalted (pink probably and perhaps smoked and kosher as well) the brine, but given how many comments I saw about the saltiness I was reluctant to just double or triple the brine ingredients and completely ruin it. I was planning to desalinate it over night in ice water so I have some time to salvage it…The idea of eating pastrami that’s grey under the bark is really unappealing but I can’t waste all this meat, so I’m going to forge ahead one way or another but I would really LOVE any tips anyone could share!
I started with an 8 lb brisket 7 days ago. I wasn't sure what to do about the fat on the outside, and I couldn't find anything in the instructions. First I cut it off. Then I decided it probably had a purpose and marinated the fat with the meat, and covered the meat with the fat before I started cooking. The resulting pastrami is delicious! Katz Deli level delicious!
Planning a weeklong trip to meet family who will come back home with me and stay a few days. I would like to start brining before leaving and then finish preparing it when we come back, then we can all enjoy the pastrami the day after. What would happen if I leave it in the brine for 7 instead of 5 days?
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