Homemade Smoked Pastrami

Recipe(s) by Chef Paul Kirk

It is traditional to have corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day, and so do I but I usually go one step farther. I like to have Reuben sandwich, made with home-made pastrami. (This page has both the smoked pastrami recipe and the Reuben sandwich recipe.)

Don’t freak-out it’s no harder than cooking a brisket.

When I was involved with RUB BBQ in New York City we had a reporter from the New York times, in to try our pastrami. We had just pulled 5 pastrami out of the smoker about an hour before she arrives, sliced her some. She took one bite, put it down and called her office and said “you need to get a photographer over here and take a picture of this pastrami it’s better than Katz’s.” That my friends; is high praise, since Katz’s considered the best Pastrami there is!

Smoked Pastrami on a Lang BBQ Smokers

Methods of Cooking this Recipe

fast and hot

Recommended Smoker Cooker Fuel

Any locally grown hard wood

RECIPE

5 from 1 reviews

Homemade Smoked Pastrami

 

Print

Prep time

24 hours

Cook time

8 hours

Total time

32 hours

 

Great St. Patrick's Day recipe.

Author: Chef Paul Kirk

Ingredients

• 1 corned beef brisket, 8-10 pound, trimmed
• PASTRAMI RUB:
• ⅓ cup coarse ground coriander seeds
• ¼ cup coarse or restaurant grind black pepper
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• MUSTARD SLATHER:
• 1 cup yellow ballpark mustard
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh grind black pepper

Instructions

1. OPTIONAL: Soak the corned beef in a pot of water in the refrigerator overnight, make sure the beef is submerged completely. This pulls some of the salt cure out of the brisket.
2. Set-up your Lang cooker to 250º degrees F.
3. Drain the corned beef and pat dry with paper towels, let come to room temperature.
4. Combine the rub and mustard slather ingredients and set aside.
5. Lay the corned beef fat side down and lightly paint the meat side and the sides with the slather using a pastry brush, sprinkle on the rub. Turn the meat over and repeat the process.
6. Place it on your Lang and cook until the internal temperature is 195º to 205º degrees F. Approximately 8-10 hours.
7. Remove the pastrami, tent with foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

3.4.3177

Reuben Sandwich

• 3 to 4 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing
• 2-slices rye bread
• 1 1/2 ounces sliced Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• 1 cup sauerkraut, drained and squeezed of excess moisture
• 5 to 6 ounces thinly slices pastrami
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Spread 1 tablespoon of the dressing on one piece of bread and top with half of the cheese, half of the sauerkraut, and all of the meat. Spread another tablespoon of the dressing over the meat and top with the remaining sauerkraut and cheese, in that order.
Spread the remaining tablespoon of dressing on the remaining piece of bread and place it on top of the cheese, dressing side down. Press firmly to close the sandwich, then evenly spread the butter on the outside of the sandwich.

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat, place the sandwich in the pan, and press down on the sandwich with a spatula. (Alternatively, you can cook the sandwich in a sandwich press.) Cook until the bread is crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the sandwich is warmed through, about 4 minutes more.
Makes 1 sandwich

You can also serve your pastrami with grilled or boiled cabbage, and some good grainy mustard.