Pastrami Fajitas Recipes

Steps:

• For the brine: In a large stockpot, add half of the water, the brown sugar, kosher salt, curing salt, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, juniper berries, chile flakes, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and star anise and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining water with some ice to chill the brine.
• For the rub: Grind the peppercorns, coriander and juniper until crushed but still a little chunky. Add to a mixing bowl. Add the salt, brown sugar, chile flakes and granulated garlic and stir to combine.
• For the pastrami: First, clean all the fat off the brisket including the "V" between the two muscles, then follow the fat between the two muscles and separate them making a flat and a cap.
• Transfer the brine to a large hotel pan or roasting pan. Add the brisket and refrigerate at least 5 days and no more than 10 days. Make sure the brisket is stirred once a day to get an evenly brined brisket.
• After a minimum of 5 days, prepare a smoker for 225 degrees F.
• Remove the pastrami, rinse it and blot dry with paper towels. Thoroughly rub the brined brisket with the pastrami rub. Place in smoker and cook for 8 hours until the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Steps:

• Trim the beef.
• Combine the salt, pepper, sugar, ginger, garlic, and coriander.
• Working on a clean, nonporous surface, rub the seasoning mixture into all surfaces of the beef.
• Place the beef with all the seasonings into a heavy:-duty sealable plastic bag.
• Expel the excess air, and carefully tie and seal the bag.
• Put the bag in the cooler.
• Rotate and lightly massage the sealed bag at least once a day for 12 days.
• SMOKING Preheat the smoker to 650F (180C). Adjust the dampers to wide open.
• Remove the beef from the plastic bag.
• Using a trussing needle and strong cord, provide a secure loop to hang the meat on a smoke stick.
• Place into the smoker Allow to air dry with no smoke for a full 24 hours.
• Remove the meat from the smoker and cover loosely.
• Set the temperature at 1'3()0F (540C) with the dampers wide open.
• Return the meat to the smoker and hold at this setting for 2 hours.
• Adjust the dampers to one-half open.
• Monitor the temperature and raise the tempera ture gradually over the next several hours.
• Remove the pastrami when its internal temperature reaches 1200F (490C). Do not shower with cold water.
• Apply a finishing rub of cracked pepper.
• Cool quickly and wrap tightly.
• Refrigerate for 2 days before using.
• To cook, unwrap the chilled pastrami and place in a large quantity of white beef stock.
• Bring quickly to a full boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 or more hours until tender.
• Store the pastrami tightly wrapped and well-chilled at all times.

Steps:

• For the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, dill pickles and shallots in a food processor until thoroughly mixed. Do not over blend, you still want to see some texture. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate in a covered jar until serving time.
• For the sandwich build: Combine half of the dressing with the sauerkraut and toss. Place 1 slice of cheese on a piece of bread. Pile the meat high on the cheese, top with an additional slice of cheese, some of the sauerkraut mixture and the second piece of bread. Butter the outsides of the sandwich. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat. Add the sandwiches, cover with a heatproof bowl and griddle until golden and gooey in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, cover and let cook until golden all around, another 3 minutes. Serve the extra dressing on the side.
• Cook's Note: I love getting a whole piece of pastrami, uncut, from Fumare's in Chicago. If you have a favorite deli, try getting a whole piece and cutting it yourself; the meat will stay nice and tender and you can mix the bark from the end cut with the meatier middle. You'll fall in love with pastrami all over again.

Steps:

• For the marinade: In a small 2 cup measuring cup, or something similar size and shape, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate the beef for 2 to 4 hours to tenderize and flavor the beef.
• Preheat a ridged grill pan on high heat.
• Drain the marinade from the beef. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.
• For the fajitas: Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil, if using. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.
• While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. Turn any free burners on a medium low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.
• You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm, if not repeat the heating at 1 minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.
• Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.
• To serve: Spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions, and salsa. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.
• May also be served with sour cream and shredded cheese.
• Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together.
• Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Slice pastrami, peppers, cabbage, and zucchini into thin strips.
• chop mushrooms.
• heat oils in nonstick copper pan on medium. Add cabbage, lemon-pepper and Italian seasonings. Cook 3 minutes covered, toss occasionally. Add peppers cook 3 minutes more covered tossing occasionally. Add Zucchini cook 2-3 minutes covered tossing occasionally. Add Pastrami cook 2 -3 minutes keep covered tossing occasionally. Turn off heat add spinach, toss. Cover for 30 seconds, toss, cover for 1 minute more.
• Roll 6 ounces of this mixture into a Multi-grain Flat Bread Wrap or in a Multi-grain Tortilla warmed. Serve plain or with a dipping sauce such as Fat-Free Greek Yogurt lime zest. Makes 3 6 ounce servings .

Steps:

• Mix garlic and vegetable oil in a small bowl. Set aside for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
• Combine black pepper, paprika, coriander, dry mustard, white pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Cover a baking sheet with a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Coat aluminum foil with prepared garlic oil. Lay corned beef brisket on foil and brush with remaining garlic oil.
• Cover all sides of corned beef brisket completely with pepper mixture, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons.
• With fat side of corned beef brisket up, wrap in the sheet of aluminum foil. Place wrapped corned beef on another sheet of aluminum foil with the seam and fat side down. Place double-wrapped corned beef on a third sheet of aluminum foil (seam down), and wrap again.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 6 hours.
• Remove pastrami from the oven and let cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.
• With pastrami still wrapped in aluminum foil, place in a freezer bag or other plastic bag and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Remove pastrami from refrigerator, unwrap, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of remaining pepper mixture.
• Place pastrami in the oven, 6 to 8 inches below broiler heat. Broil briefly to brown surface, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pastrami from the oven and slice thinly, about 1/8-inch slices.
• Heat a large skillet over low heat.
• Heat pastrami slices in the skillet with a few drops of water until fat begins to turn from white to translucent, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Cut peppers and onion into thin slices. Do not dice, leave slices long and thin.
• Saute peppers and onion in a small amount of oil until tender. Add mushrooms and chicken. Continue to cook on low heat until heated through. Stir in dry salad dressing mix and blend thoroughly.
• Warm tortillas and roll mixture inside. If desired top with shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomato and shredded lettuce.

Steps:

• Grind garlic with kosher salt with a mortar and pestle until a paste forms. Whisk garlic paste, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, chili powder, sugar, paprika, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; pour marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Add skirt steak strips, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator, 2 hours to overnight.
• Remove steak from marinade and shake off excess; discard remaining marinade.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Wrap tortillas tightly in aluminum foil to form a packet and place packet on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Keep warm.
• Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large skillet over high heat until oil begins to smoke. Saute onion and bell pepper in hot oil until browned and almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer onion and pepper to a plate.
• Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in the same skillet over high heat until oil starts to smoke. Cook 1/2 of the steak in hot oil until browned on all sides but still pink in the center, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer cooked steak to the plate with onion and pepper.
• Heat remaining canola oil in the same skillet. Cook remaining steak in hot oil until browned on all sides but still pink in the center, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir cooked steak, onion, bell pepper, and any accumulated juices back into the skillet. Add minced garlic and salt; cook and stir until fragrant and heated through. Remove from heat. Divide steak mixture between warm tortillas.

Steps:

• Place cream cheese and roasted pepper in a small food processor. Cover and process until blended. Spread over tortillas. Layer with remaining ingredients; roll up. Secure with toothpicks.

Steps:

• Cut pork into 4x1/2x1/4-in. strips; set aside. In a bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine orange juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, seasoned salt and hot pepper sauce; mix well. Add pork; cover or close bag and chill for 1-2 hours. , In a skillet over medium heat, cook pork with marinade, onion and green pepper in oil until pork is not longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain., Place about 3/4 cup filling down the center of each tortilla; top with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream if desired. Fold in sides of tortillas and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Butter both slices of bread and toast until golden.
• Spread mustard on both slices.
• Warm pastrami in a hot skillet until heated through.
• Pile on top of one slice of the bread and carefully close the sandwich.
• To make a cold pastrami sandwich, skip buttering and toasting the bread and place meat cold on the sandwich.