Trumps Tuna Pastrami Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the tuna in a brine made of the water, garlic and salt for 4 to 5 hours in the refrigerator.
• Remove from the refrigerator half an hour before cooking. Drain the brine and coat the outside of the tuna with a mixture of the coriander and peppercorns.
• Soak the mesquite chips according to manufacturer's instuctions.
• If using a smoker, follow directions. If using a covered grill, open all the vents. Cover the bottom with charcoal and allow it to burn to a white ash, about 30 minutes. When the temperature reaches 175 to 200 degrees at the grill level, add the wet mesquite directly to the charcoal; it should be very smoky. Grease the grill, place the tuna on it and close the cover immediately. After three minutes turn the tuna and cook 3 minutes longer. The outside should be grayish white and the inside rare.
• Refrigerate for several hours. To serve, slice very thin and accompany with mustard sauce.

Steps:

• Place brisket in a gallon-size zipper freezer bag and set aside in a bowl or a large plastic container. Combine 3 tablespoons smoked salt, kosher salt, the sugars, Prague powder, bay leaves, garlic, cloves, crushed pepper, allspice and 1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds in a large bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add 4 cups ice water to mixture, stir and pour into the bag with the meat. Add as much additional cold water as needed to fill the bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, and place in the refrigerator still in its bowl or container. Keep refrigerated for 5 days.
• Remove meat from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Set meat on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Toast remaining coriander seeds and the mustard seeds in a dry skillet. Mix with the remaining smoked salt and crush all together. Add the coarse pepper. Press this spice mixture into the surface of the meat all over.
• Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place a rack in a rimmed baking sheet and cover rack with a piece of heavy-duty foil large enough to enclose meat. Punch some holes in the bottom of the foil for draining. Place meat on foil, wrap tightly and place pan in oven for 12 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool before refrigerating. At this point, pastrami will keep 10 to 12 days in the refrigerator.
• To serve, place all or a portion of the meat, wrapped in foil, in a steamer basket over simmering water in a large pot. Steam until warm, 30 minutes. Slice thin 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:

• Form the beef into four 4-inch-wide patties (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick); season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute, then top each burger with a slice of cheese and one-quarter of the pastrami. Cover and cook until the cheese melts and the pastrami is hot, about 2 more minutes for medium.
• Serve the burgers on the buns with lettuce, onions, tomatoes and Thousand Island dressing.

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:

• Two nights before serving, place the corned beef in a large pot and cover with water. Refrigerate and soak for 24 hours, changing the water every four hours if possible.
• The night before serving, in a small bowl, mix the spicy brown mustard and fish sauce, and rub all over the meat. In another bowl, mix the salt, pepper and brown sugar. Sprinkle evenly all over the meat; do not rub it in. Place the meat on a rack placed over a baking sheet, and refrigerate uncovered for about 12 hours or overnight.
• Very early in the morning, remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow to rest for 1 hour to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat an oven to 200 degrees; or if you have a smoker, set it to 212 degrees.
• Heat a grill or large grill pan until very hot, about 10 minutes; if using an indoor grill or pan, make sure the room is well ventilated. Place the meat on the grill or pan fat side down, and allow it to sear on one side for 2 minutes. Continue turning and searing on each side - including the ends - for 2 minutes a side. Repeat for a second searing on each side; the meat should have a hard sear with grill marks. (If you are using a smoker, there's no need to sear the meat first.)
• Wrap the meat well in aluminum foil and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 12 hours; the finished meat should jiggle. (If you are using a smoker, do not wrap the meat in foil. Smoke for about 10 hours.)
• Remove the foil from the meat and raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. When the oven is heated, return the meat to the oven and allow to roast until the crust is blackened and firm but still gives to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the pickled mustard condiment spooned on the side.