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- 1
Soak out the cure
A corned beef brisket is already cured and loaded with salt, so the first job is pulling most of that salt back out or your pastrami will be inedible. Drop the flat in a large container, cover it completely with cold water, and park it in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Change the water every 4 hours. Don't skip this and don't shortcut it — this step is the whole difference between pastrami and a salt lick.
- 2
Mix the pepper-coriander rub
Pastrami lives and dies on a heavy coat of coarse black pepper and coriander. Combine the black pepper (coarse restaurant grind, not fine table pepper), turbinado sugar, granulated garlic, ground coriander, ground mustard, and onion powder in a bowl. That sugar is there to balance the pepper and help build color, not to make it sweet.
- 3
Dry and rub it hard
Pull the flat out of the water and pat it bone dry with paper towel. Now coat every surface with the rub, and I mean a heavy coat — press it on until you can't see the meat. Pastrami wants more rub than you think. Let it sit at room temperature while the smoker comes up to heat.
- 4
Smoke at 275 to 165 internal
Set your smoker up for indirect cooking and run it at 275 degrees. Add a few chunks of pecan and cherry for smoke — pecan for a clean nutty backbone, cherry for color and a little sweetness. Lay the flat on the grate and let it ride about 3 hours until the internal hits 160 to 165 degrees and the bark is set and dark. That's your smoke phase done.
- 5
Steam it tender to 202 internal
Pastrami has to be taken up to brisket-tender, and the clean way to do that is steam. Set a wire rack inside a half-size aluminum pan and pour in the beef broth — enough to cover the bottom but not touch the meat. Set the flat on the rack, slide a probe into the thickest part, cover the pan tight with foil, and put it back on the smoker. Cook until the internal reads 202 degrees, about 2 more hours. You're cooking to feel here — 202 is where the connective tissue finally lets go.
- 6
Firm the bark and rest
The steam softens that beautiful bark, so pull the flat out of the pan and set it straight back on the grate for about 15 minutes to dry back out and firm up. Then move it to a cutting board and let it rest 20 to 30 minutes, loosely tented with foil — never wrapped tight, or you'll steam it all over again.
- 7
Slice against the grain
Find the direction of the muscle fibers and slice straight across them with a sharp carving knife. Against the grain is non-negotiable — slice with the grain and even perfect pastrami chews like a boot. I go thin so I can pile it high. Stack it on rye with mustard, or pile it up for a Reuben.
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Smoked Pastrami
Created by: SmokeRingSteve
Ingredients
- 4 lb corned beef brisket
- 1/2 cup black pepper
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated garlic
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground mustard
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Soak out the cureA corned beef brisket is already cured and loaded with salt, so the first job is pulling most of that salt back out or your pastrami will be inedible. Drop the flat in a large container, cover it completely with cold water, and park it in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Change the water every 4 hours. Don't skip this and don't shortcut it — this step is the whole difference between pastrami and a salt lick.
- Mix the pepper-coriander rubPastrami lives and dies on a heavy coat of coarse black pepper and coriander. Combine the black pepper (coarse restaurant grind, not fine table pepper), turbinado sugar, granulated garlic, ground coriander, ground mustard, and onion powder in a bowl. That sugar is there to balance the pepper and help build color, not to make it sweet.
- Dry and rub it hardPull the flat out of the water and pat it bone dry with paper towel. Now coat every surface with the rub, and I mean a heavy coat — press it on until you can't see the meat. Pastrami wants more rub than you think. Let it sit at room temperature while the smoker comes up to heat.
- Smoke at 275 to 165 internalSet your smoker up for indirect cooking and run it at 275 degrees. Add a few chunks of pecan and cherry for smoke — pecan for a clean nutty backbone, cherry for color and a little sweetness. Lay the flat on the grate and let it ride about 3 hours until the internal hits 160 to 165 degrees and the bark is set and dark. That's your smoke phase done.
- Steam it tender to 202 internalPastrami has to be taken up to brisket-tender, and the clean way to do that is steam. Set a wire rack inside a half-size aluminum pan and pour in the beef broth — enough to cover the bottom but not touch the meat. Set the flat on the rack, slide a probe into the thickest part, cover the pan tight with foil, and put it back on the smoker. Cook until the internal reads 202 degrees, about 2 more hours. You're cooking to feel here — 202 is where the connective tissue finally lets go.
- Firm the bark and restThe steam softens that beautiful bark, so pull the flat out of the pan and set it straight back on the grate for about 15 minutes to dry back out and firm up. Then move it to a cutting board and let it rest 20 to 30 minutes, loosely tented with foil — never wrapped tight, or you'll steam it all over again.
- Slice against the grainFind the direction of the muscle fibers and slice straight across them with a sharp carving knife. Against the grain is non-negotiable — slice with the grain and even perfect pastrami chews like a boot. I go thin so I can pile it high. Stack it on rye with mustard, or pile it up for a Reuben.