Pastrami

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 kg beef brisket
• 40 g curing salt
• 50 g brown sugar
• 20 g black pepper
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• ½ tbsp spice mix (chili spice mix)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp juniper berries
• 100 ml BBQ sauce, medium hot

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest period approx. 7 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours; Total time approx. 7 days 4 hours 45 minutes

done easily and quickly

Trim the brisket and remove any excess fat. It’s okay if some fat remains, but thick layers of fat should be removed, as otherwise the curing salt cannot penetrate the meat. Mix the ingredients for the curing mixture and apply it to the trimmed brisket. It’s best to place the meat in a large bowl and apply the curing mixture to both sides. Place it in a sufficiently large vacuum bag, add any leftover curing mixture, vacuum seal the meat, and refrigerate. Turn the brisket every 24 hours to ensure it is cured evenly. For a 3 cm thick brisket, 7 curing days are sufficient. Depending on the thickness of the brisket, cure for longer. After the 7 days of curing, some liquid will have formed in the vacuum bag. Wash the brisket thoroughly under running water to remove almost all of the spices. Place the brisket in an ovenproof dish and soak it for 2 x 30 minutes. Change the water after 30 minutes. Soaking ensures that the salt concentration in the meat is slightly reduced. Season the brisket immediately after soaking. Roughly crush the pepper and coriander with a mortar and pestle and mix with the other spices to form a rub. The pastrami rub should not contain any additional salt, as the meat is salty enough from the brine process. The rub should have a coarse texture and should not be applied in powder form, as this will later become mushy. Apply the spice mixture to both sides of the brisket and press it down with your palms. Preheat a smoker or grill with charcoal and briquettes to 120°C. Let it smoke for about 3 hours, until the thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 68°C. Either serve the pastrami immediately or vacuum seal the meat again and wait about 1 week. The pastrami will develop its typical flavor and become somewhat more tender.