Pastrami is one of my favorite meats in the whole world. I always ate it in restaurants or bought it at the supermarket to make Rueben sandwiches. I was so excited when I found this video recipe tutorial for homemade pastrami by Guga Foods on YouTube. I never realized how pastrami was actually made or why it tasted so unique so this recipe was an eye-opener for me. The secret to this wonderful meat is the fact that you make a pickling brine and marinate the brisket in it for seven whole days. You heard that right, seven days of soaking up all those delicious spices. This is not a difficult recipe at all, it does take a little patience, but after you have made it once, it really becomes second nature.
Ingredients:
Pickling Spice Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground mace
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
Brine Ingredients:
- 1 gallon of water
- 1 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons pink curing salt
- 10 cloves of garlic (crushed whole)
- The pickling spice (which is written above)
- A big bag of ice (about 1 gallon, the ice will cool your brine and add the extra water as it melts)
Directions:
In this video recipe tutorial for homemade pastrami by Guga Foods on YouTube, you will learn all the steps you need to make this succulent pastrami brisket. You start by making the pickling brine.
Then, you let the brisket sit in the brine for 7 days in the refrigerator, then cook the brisket on the smoker for 5 hours.
Image By: Guga Foods Via Youtube
This pastrami is so delicious!