Homemade Pastrami

I also give myself a pat on the back because mine is better than what I get at the grocery.

Of course my homemade pastrami was brisket and the pastrami from the deli at my grocery is top round.

I don't know if that makes the difference or not, but the famous New York delicatessens use brisket.

In case you're not familiar pastrami is cured beef that has been lightly smoked. And believe me it's a heavenly beef product.

Why else would it still be around in a time when curing beef in order to store it is not necessary?

Making pastrami is not a difficult process. If you're going to make some you will need a smoker. I used my water smoker "Big Red".

The process of making pastrami is time consuming. Fortunately there is very little active time and the results are well worth the wait.

One of the keys in making any brisket dish is selecting brisket. So be sure to read that page.

How To Make Homemade Pastrami

After selecting your brisket the pastrami process begins with curing the meat. The meat is rubbed thoroughly all over with the cure mixture and then placed in the refrigerator to cure.

Be sure to trim any excess fat from your brisket. There shouldn't be more than a 1/8th inch layer or the cure might not penetrate properly.

The length of time that it has to cure depends on the size of the cut. All that's required during this time is to turn it over at least once a day.

Homemade Pastrami Dry Cure Mix

Black pepper and coriander are the primary flavors of pastrami and as soon as you get a sniff of this mixture your brain is going to shout "PASTRAMI".

1/4 cup Morton Tender Quick (In the salt aisle of most groceries.)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons ground coriander

Combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. This is enough mixture for a four-pound flat cut brisket.

Pour half of the dry cure on one side of the brisket, rubbing it evenly over the surface and the edges, then repeat on the other side. It will seem like way too much cure to use, but it's not--use it all.

Do not shake off the excess cure. Place the brisket in a 2-gallon Ziploc bag, seal the bag, lay it out flat on a rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate for 5 days for each inch of thickness.

My particular brisket was about two inches thick so mine should have cured in ten days. However it was raining on the tenth day and I couldn't smoke it so I just left it in the cure.

In fact it rained three days straight so the total time I left it in the cure was thirteen days. The pastrami didn't seem to suffer any.

Fire Up The Smoker

There is a final rub for the pastrami but before that is firing up the smoker.

I wanted to smoke the pastrami to an internal temperature of 165 degrees and to be frank I had no clue how long that would take. So I prepared for a long smoke time and filled the firebox with 10 pounds of Kingsford charcoal.

I also wrapped a couple of chunks of hickory in heavy-duty foil with holes punched in the foil. My logic with the foil is that it will not allow the wood to flame up and the holes will let the smoke escape easily.

It takes about 30 minutes or so for the charcoal to get covered with gray ash so now's the time to apply the rub to the pastrami.

Apply The Homemade Pastrami Cooking Rub

Unlike the cure rub the cooking rub does not contain any salt. This rub is just to create a crusty peppery finish to the pastrami.

Homemade Pastrami Cooking Rub

3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, slightly coarse grind
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds, slightly coarse grind
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Apply a generous amount of rub to all surfaces of the meat, more than you would for normal barbecue. I used this entire batch of rub on my brisket. Once the rub is applied the meat is ready for the smoker.

Smoke The Homemade Pastrami

When all the coals are covered with gray ash, assemble the cooker and fill the water pan with cool tap water. Place the foil packet of hickory on the coals.

Place the temperature probe in the brisket and place it fat-side down on the top grate. The fat layer will help shield the brisket from the heat radiating up from the bottom of the cooker.

Cook the brisket until it reaches an average internal temperature of 165°.

The brisket does not need to be turned or basted during cooking, nor does the water pan need to be refilled.

Let The Homemade Pastrami Rest

Wrap the brisket in two layers of wide, heavy-duty aluminum foil and place it fat-side up in an unheated oven.

Let the meat rest for two hours in the oven.

Carryover heat will continue to cook the homemade pastrami, and juices collecting in the foil will reabsorb and redistribute within the meat. Placing the meat fat-side up allows the lean side of the brisket to bathe in the juices, helping to soften the meat.

After the two-hour rest the homemade pastrami is ready for sandwiches, however an overnight rest in the fridge won't hurt anything.

That little 1/8" layer of fat doesn't even need to be trimmed away before eating; in fact, it adds a lot of flavor.

Since I don't own a meat slicer like the deli section of my grocery I had to opt for a serrated bread knife for slicing my homemade pastrami. I couldn't get it nearly as thin this way but it was surprisingly tender anyway.

Would I make Homemade pastrami again? Absolutely! It's an easy process and the results are awesome!