My Homemade Pastrami Recipe

[aruzinsky]

Pastrami is very spicy, lightly smoked corned beef. I first became familiar with pastrami circa 1970 at a Jewish restaurant called Flo's on Cermak Rd. half a block east of State St. in Chicago, IL. It was served alone on rye bread. Today, I can't get real pastrami. The stuff sold at supermarkets is expensive, tastless crap. So, I decided to make my own pastrami. I developed this from recipes that I found on the web. I do not smoke it, but you can after it is cooked.

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10 lbs corned beef brisket
6 tbs pepper
3 tbs coriander
12 bay leaves
1 tbs red pepper
1 tbs minced garlic
Optional:
1 c juniper berries or 5 drops juniper berry essential oil

I cover the corned beef with just enough water to cover. I bring to a boil and then set at the lowest flame setting on my stove. Then I add the spices to the water, cover and simmer for 6 hrs. Notice that the lid on my pot has a depression in it. I pour water into that depression to keep the lid cool so that most of the spice vapors and steam condense and drip back into the pot.

After letting the briskets cool in the brew, I rub off the outer fat with my hand and put the brisket in plastic bags. (I flush the spice sludge down the toilet.) When I want a sandwich, I put slices on a paper towel and microwave.

Regarding juniper berries, this is not a traditional pastrami flavoring, but now I am addicted to it. Juniper berries taste like pine needles.
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[mudbug]

I continue to be impressed by the quality of your photography, aruz. do you do this professionally?

 

[aruzinsky]

I continue to be impressed by the quality of your photography, aruz. do you do this professionally?

Hardly, I use a relatively inexpensive point and shoot digital camera, whereas professional photographers use digital SLRs costing over three times as much. However, I do author and sell image processing software.

 

[buckytom]

man, aruz, that sandwich looks awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can almost smell it... btw, whaddya mean you can't get real pastrami?

 

[aruzinsky]

man, aruz, that sandwich looks awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can almost smell it... btw, whaddya mean you can't get real pastrami?

I mean that the pastrami sold in supermarkets has changed over the years. Modern pastrami is leaner and less tasty than old fashioned pastrami. As recently as maybe 5 years ago, Vienna Sausage Company made good pastrami, but now it is as tastless as other brands.

I heard comedian Jackie Mason talk on TV about a Chicago restaurant that sells good pastrami sandwiches (and I trust him on this), but I don't know where they get it. Maybe, some Jewish delicatessens sell it, but the closest is about 10 miles from my house.

 

[beerco]

So how would you smoke it?

That sounds awesome. What would you recommend if one wanted to smoke it? Perform the steps as written then smoke some more, or would you perhaps boil a soak ( I notice there's no salt in your recipe) with those spices and let the corned beef soak in it overnight to be smoked the next day?

 

[choclatechef]

Real pastrami on rye with swiss, and some spicy mustard! To die for!

 

[buckytom]

a good reuben is a gift from god.....

 

[kitchenelf]

I made some corned beef last night and just made myself a Reuben for lunch - rye, thousand island, swiss, saurkraut, corned beef, grilled - except my son came in and ate the other half LOL

Nice pic aruzinsky, thanks for the recipe too!

 

[kitchenelf]

beerco - I've heard of smoking a brisket - before it is corned - but I've never heard of smoking pastrami? But I don't get out much so hopefully someone can help with that.

 

[aruzinsky]

I have no experience smoking meat. Apparently, I was wrong saying to smoke after cooking. Here is one of the recipes that I based mine on:

http://www.aaa-recipes.com/beefbrisket/beefbrisket18.html

The corned beef that I buy is already salty.

 

[Brooksy]

I based mine on:

http://www.aaa-recipes.com/beefbrisket/beefbrisket18.html

The corned beef that I buy is already salty.

If you pump the meat the pickling stage can be reduced to a week.

As well as brisket, a silverside roast corns beautifully too, but pumping is essential.

I never thought to smoke a brisket before cooking. Definitely a plus!

Thanks for the post, both recipes duly filed, & we have a corned brisket in the freezer for next week. All I need to do is get some hickory wood from down the road without being caught for the smoking.

 

[kitchenelf]

The recipe clearly states "smoking" so you weren't wrong at all. I have never ever even heard of smoking a corned beef brisket. May give it a try though!!!

WayneT - a smoked brisket is excellent - but you said you have a corned brisket you are going to smoke - PLEASE let us know how it turns out!!!

 

[aruzinsky]

The recipe clearly states "smoking" so you weren't wrong at all. I have never ever even heard of smoking a corned beef brisket. May give it a try though!!!

WayneT - a smoked brisket is excellent - but you said you have a corned brisket you are going to smoke - PLEASE let us know how it turns out!!!

No, I meant that I was wrong about smoking after cooking. There are other recipes that don't smoke it and I got confused about when to smoke it. However, all the commercial pastrami that I have tried has a light smoked flavor in addition to the spices.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Smoke the brisket before or use liquid smoke flavoring in the cooking broth. Both sound great. What I wanted to say about this thread is thank you for posting your recipe. It looks great. And I have to give you kudos for you photography as well. I took photos of my own cooking for several self-published cookbooks I've written (burn them on CD-ROM and sell them). Out of literally hundreds of photos, few were good enough to give a real idea of how good the foods really looked. But some came out very good. I use a digital camera and so can take countless pictures at very low cost. My only thing is that I insist that the photos not be retouched as I want the customer to know they can get identical results.

Again, great photos and great recipe. This one I have to try.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[BigDog]

If you pump the meat the pickling stage can be reduced to a week.

Pump the meat? Could someone explain to a novice? Never heard of that.

I love deli pastrami bought at the grocer, so if I like that, a home made recipe would be to die for.

Pastrami is spiced corned beef essentially? The initial recipe sounds great and will likely be tried for sure. Anyone with a recipe for pastrami from the gound up, meaning an uncooked, unseasoned chunk of briskit? Outside of the Emeril recipe, which I do have.

Also, can you freeze the finished product? If so, for how long?

 

[QSis]

That sounds awesome. What would you recommend if one wanted to smoke it? Perform the steps as written then smoke some more, or would you perhaps boil a soak ( I notice there's no salt in your recipe) with those spices and let the corned beef soak in it overnight to be smoked the next day?

I just did a search on pastrami, to see if any of you guys have smoked corned beef before. I found a thread from a couple of years ago.

Andy, Gretchen, and other BBQ'ers, have you tried making your own, the easy way?

I smoke a couple a year on my Weber Smokey Mountain - just did two corned beef points this past weekend (I believe in fatty pastrami, thus the corned beef points, not the flats).

Soaked the store-bought corned beefs in water for an hour or two, changing the water several times, to get off some of the surface salt. Season either with the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef, or use a rub of pepper, coriander seeds, garlic powder, pickling spices and whatever else you want.

Put the corned beefs on the smoker, with whatever wood chunks you have (I used hickory and maple). Smoke at about 225-250 for four to five hours, or until the internal meat temp is 160. Chill the meat well before slicing.

Slice cold meat PAPER thin. To reheat, steam in a steamer basket for just about 3 minutes. Pile onto bulkie rolls or rye bread with some good mustard!

SOOOOO good!

Lee

 

[kitchenelf]

Qsis!!!! That's just mean posting a beautiful picture like that! That looks absolutely awesome! I've never smoked corned beef - might have to try in the very near future - maybe for a tailgating event.

So, will the wrapped meat actually say corned beef POINTS? Or do I look for something in particular in the way it looks.?

 

[Andy M.]

...So, will the wrapped meat actually say corned beef POINTS? Or do I look for something in particular in the way it looks.?

KE:

Corned beef is usually sold as two different parts. The flat cut is considered the better of the two as it has less fat. The point cut is less expensive and fattier. If you bought a whole brisket and cut in into two pieces, you'd have one of each.

 

[QSis]

So, will the wrapped meat actually say corned beef POINTS?

Yes, kitchen, it will say "point cut" or "flat cut" on the meat label.

Lee