Pastrami Rub Recipes

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat by building the coals on one side only. Allow the temperature to reach 225 to 250 degrees F. Alternatively, set up your offset smoker. Build a fire with apple and cherry wood in the firebox and allow the temperature to reach 225 to 250 degrees F and the smoke to begin to run clear.
• Clean the brisket by trimming the fat cap, creating a fatty and lean side. Trim the fat on the point down to about 1/2 inch. Trim the fat on top of the flat end down to about 1/4 inch. Flip the brisket over and remove any silver skin and sinew from the meat. You will lose around 2 pounds from trimming.
• Place the fat you have trimmed into a small pan and place on the smoker or grill to render. You will use it later to brush the brisket before wrapping.
• To make the pastrami spice, add the coriander seeds, black pepper, salt, mustard seeds, chili flakes and sumac to a small bowl and mix to combine. In a spray bottle, combine the apple cider and Worcestershire sauce.
• Coat the entire brisket with the mustard, then liberally season on all sides with the pastrami spice. Spray it with the apple cider mixture.
• Place the brisket on the indirect side of the grill with the fat side facing down. If using the smoker, place the brisket with the fattiest part of the brisket pointed towards the fire. Place a thermometer in the fattest part of the brisket, close the lid and cook, misting the brisket every 30 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 6 hours.
• Brush the brisket with the rendered fat and wrap it in peach butcher paper. Place back onto the indirect heat on the grill or smoker and continue to cook until an internal temperature of 205 degrees is reached, about 3 more hours.
• Remove from the grill and let rest for at least 1 hour before separating the flat (lean brisket) from the point (fatty brisket). Slice against the grain and serve.

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:

• 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:

• 1. Make the brine: Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the garlic, juniper berries, bay leaves, salt, brown sugar, curing salt, if using, whole peppercorns, and allspice berries. Let cool completely, then immerse the meat. (Weight it down with a plate if necessary.) Refrigerate for 3 days.
• 2. Make the rub: In a spice grinder or small food processor, combine the black pepper, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and bay leaves. Pulse until coarsely ground. Stir in the brown sugar, paprika, cinnamon, and clove.
• 3. Remove the meat from the brine and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle and pat the rub on the brisket. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
• 4. When ready to cook, prepare your Smoker for 180 degrees.
• 5. Remove the plastic wrap from the beef brisket and arrange on the grill grate. Smoke the meat for 3 to 4 hours. Wrap the brisket tightly in foil. Increase the temperature to 250 degrees, and continue to cook the brisket until the internal temperature is 175 degrees. Allow the brisket to cool to room temperature, leaving it in the foil. Transfer the brisket to a baking dish, and weight it with foil-covered bricks or cast iron skillets. Refrigerate overnight. Slice thinly against the grain for serving. (A meat slicer is preferred to a knife.).