40gramssmoked saltor 40g of coarse salt + 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke
172gramssugar
44gramsbrown sugar
85gramshoney
20gramscuring salt
8gramspickling spicerecipe at the end
5clovesgarliccrushed
Spice Rub
40gramsblack peppercorns
15gramscoriander seeds
15gramsmustard seeds
10gramssmoked saltor 10 grams of smoked salt + ¼ teaspoon of liquid smoke
8gramspickling spice
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Brine
On the first day, start by preparing the brine. Mix all the brine ingredients in a pot and bring it to a boil. Then, turn off the heat and let the brine return to room temperature. You can speed up this process by adding 2 liters of cold water after boiling.
When the brine is at room temperature, place the beef brisket or sirloin in the brine, making sure it's submerged (use a dessert plate if necessary). Refrigerate and let it rest for at least 72 hours.
Step 2: Maintain the Brine
On days 2 and 3, continue keeping the meat in the brine in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Prepare the Spice Rub
On day 4, before starting the cooking process, prepare the spice rub. Toast the mustard seeds, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Then, coarsely grind them and mix with the other ingredients.
Step 4: Prepare the Meat for Cooking
Remove the meat from the brine after 48 hours and rinse it to remove excess brine. Pat it dry with paper towels and place it on two sheets of aluminum foil. Evenly spread the spice rub mixture over the meat, covering all sides. Wrap the meat in aluminum foil, making it tight. Make two cuts on the bottom to allow liquid to drain during cooking. Place the wrapped meat with the cuts down on a rack in a pan.
Step 5: Cook the Pastrami
Let the meat rest at room temperature for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours until it reaches room temperature. Preheat the oven to 220F°/105°C. Then, place the pan with the meat on the rack in the oven and let it cook for 12 hours. Yes, you read that right, 12 hours!
Step 6: Let It Cool
On day 5, in the morning or after 12 hours of cooking, turn off the oven and let the meat cool completely inside.
Step 7: Slice and Serve
After cooling, remove the meat from the aluminum foil, removing excess spice rub (don't worry if some spices stick). Now, you're ready to slice your homemade pastrami!
To serve, slice the pastrami thinly and steam it. Serve it on an authentic New York rye bread or artisanal bread, accompanied by Dijon mustard for a truly incredible experience, or American mustard.
Notes
Pickling Spice:If you want to make more pastrami in the future, here's the recipe for the pickling spice that you can store:20 grams black peppercorns 20 grams mustard seeds 20 grams coriander seeds 12 grams red pepper flakes 14 grams juniper berries 6 grams cloves 8 grams ground ginger 8 grams allspice 2 cinnamon sticks 24 dried bay leaves.