PastramiSeasoned

PastramiCooked

PastramiSliced 		Homemade pastrami is second to none, as long as you have a smoker, it is a simple to make and great to eat.  This is probably the most requested thing I make from co-workers, and is the reason I cooked it this weekend.  A fellow co-worker is about to go on a baseball trip and wanted to have pastrami as they drove from stadium to stadium.

To get started making pastrami you will need a corned brisket flat or point from the grocery store.  Remove from the packaging and place in a container full of water and let it soak for about 1 hour.  After the hour is up, drain the water and refill with fresh water.  The goal here is to get as much of the salt out as possible and is critical to having good pastrami.  Let it soak for at least another 2 hours and then remove from the water and pat dry.  Place dry rub all over the corned brisket and really rub it in there to get it to stick.  Some people actually wrap it in foil and place a brick on top, I do not think this is really necessary.  Once the rub is placed on, you are ready to put it in the smoker.  Place in the smoker and cook at 225 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 185 degrees.  Once the temperature is reached, remove from the smoker and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.  If you are going to use a meat slicer, it is best to let it come to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator overnight before slicing.   Now you are ready to make some good old fashioned pastrami sandwiches!

Rub:
  • 1 T Kosher Salt
  • 4 T Paprika
  • 3 T Coriander Seed
  • 1 1/2 T Yellow Mustard Seed
  • 1 /1/2 T Brown/Black Mustard Seed
  • 2 T Granulated Garlic
  • 5 T Peppercorn Melange (mixture of Black, White, Pink, and Green Peppercorns)

Place the seeds in a spice grinder (coffee grinder, but never used for coffee) and grind to a medium coarseness and put in a bowl.  Place the remainder of the spices in a the bowl and mix well.