Basic recipe for pastrami
Recipe Facts
Difficulty level:
difficult ◉◉◉◉◎
Quantity for:
4 people
Preparation time:
⧗ several days
Grilling time:
⧗ 4 hours
Grill(s) & Equipment:
• Smoker or other grill for indirect grilling, vacuum sealer
Ingredients
Ingredients for 4 persons):
• 5 kg beef brisket
For curing:
• 250 g curing salt
• 150 g cane sugar
• 100 g black pepper,
freshly ground
• 4 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp coriander seeds,
ground
• 2 tbsp ginger powder
For the pastrami rub:
• 10 tbsp black pepper,
coarsely ground
• 4 tbsp coriander seeds,
coarsely ground
• 1 tbsp garlic granules
For smoking:
• some chunks of hickory or
Fruit woods
Additional pastrami recipes from Eddy can be found in FIRE&FOOD 01/2021!
preparation
➊ First, mix the ingredients for the curing salt mixture well. Then trim the beef brisket and remove any excess fat so that the mixture can penetrate the meat. Rub the meat all over with the curing salt mixture and then vacuum seal.
➋ Cure the beef brisket in the refrigerator for 7 days, turning the brisket once a day so that the meat is cured evenly all around.
➌ Then remove from the vacuum packaging and wash thoroughly under cold running water. Then place in a large tub and fill with water until the beef brisket is covered on all sides. Soak for 2 hours, changing the water every half hour. This will reduce the salt content again. Remove the meat from the water and dry well. Mix the ingredients for the pastrami rub and apply all around the beef brisket, pressing down.
➍ Prepare the smoker – alternatively a ceramic, kettle or gas grill – for indirect grilling and set it to 110 °C. Place the meat on the grill and cook for 4 hours with the addition of smoking wood until the core temperature reaches 65 °C.
➎ Take the meat out of the smoker and let it cool. Then cut it into thin slices and vacuum seal it in portions. This way it stays fresh in the fridge and can be used for subsequent preparations.
NOTE FROM FIRE&FOOD:
There are two ways to make pastrami with beef brisket. One is the BBQ way, ideally with US BEEF and a cooking level of at least 90° C, similar to the production of brisket. The meat is cut into thick slices of at least 5 mm. The other way is the "German butcher's style", as in our recipe from Eddy. Here, the pastrami can also be made with a German beef brisket. After curing, the meat is brought to a core temperature of 65-68° C. Since the consistency of this pastrami is much tougher than the US version, it must be cut very thinly (2-3 mm). This pastrami preparation could therefore also be called "sliced pastrami", which is also not directly comparable to the US BBQ pastrami. But the butcher's version also tastes very delicious!
Recipe by Eddy The Butcher
Eddy The Butcher, a native of the Rhineland, is a jack of all trades when it comes to meat and has dedicated his entire life to this topic. As an event griller and brand ambassador, he takes care of the physical well-being of his often prominent guests, and with his premium beef club he is committed to species-appropriate and sustainable animal husbandry. He has also recently been making a name for himself as a video content creator at Grillfürst.
Contact and information at: www.eddys-beef.club
Recipe from FIRE&FOOD issue 01/2021
