FORKING AMAZING Smoked PASTRAMI Recipe

I’ve been making tweaking my pastrami recipes but this one so FORKING AMAZING that I was told not to tweak or change things ever again. I do note that this is the first thing I ever smoked….some how I did incredible. I recommend my rye rolls recipe, my garlic dill pickle recipe and my beer mustard recipe to go with the pastrami. My idea of portion size may differ from your idea of portion size. I’m thinking 3oz portions are perfect and I think I got around ten portions. I do note that this recipe takes about a week to prepare. 6 days in brine. One day to smoke and finish in the oven. I like to make the brine the day before so it’s cool enough to use and I don’t water mine down with ice to use. I can brag here because my pastrami is way better than from the stores or certain deli restaurants. BRAG BRAG BRAG!

Ingredients for around 10 portions

1/2 a brisket trimmed up (around 3 1/2 pounds)

1 Tablespoon prague powder (you need to order it one line I got mine from Olive Nation)

4 oz Crystal kosher salt (this can not be substituted) (Crystal brand salt has a different salt content and different shape crystal that penetrates the meat in a different way)

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons juniper berries

3 Tablespoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons allspice berries

3 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon whole cloves

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

2 Tablespoons black tellicherry peppercorns

2 teaspoons white peppercorns

1 teaspoon ground ginger

20 garlic cloves (around 3 ounces) – crushed and rough chopped

1 Tablespoon granulated garlic

2 hot dried peppers – crushed

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

8 cups water

4 Tablespoons coriander seeds (ground up in spice grinder for the rub)

1 Tablespoon black tellicherry peppercorns (ground up in spice grinder for the rub)

1 Tablespoon smoked paprika (add this to rub for more flavor)

Directions

In your sauce pot add the prague powder, Crystal brand kosher salt, sugar, honey, juniper berries, coriander seeds, allspice berries, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, mustard seeds, peppercorns, ginger, granulated garlic, dried peppers, smoked paper and water. Bring to a boil. Let it boil about ten minutes and simmer it for about 20 minutes. This needs to cool before you use it. I leave it out till it’s room temperature and then I but it in the refrigerator and use the next day.

When your brine is cool …….. Pierce your brisket all over with a fork. Place brisket in turkey bag with the garlic and brine. You need a pan to support the bag.

The brisket gets turned every day. This stays in the refrigerator for 6 days.

After 6 days you take the brisket out and rinse it off. It only takes a few seconds to make the rub. Put the coriander seeds and peppercorns in your spice grinder. Till it’s broken down and a little chunky. Mix in the smoked paprika. Rub it all over the brisket.

Now you are ready to smoke it.