Homemade Pastrami from Brisket

This brisket pastrami takes a little patience, but the process stays focused: cure the meat, rinse and soak it, season it with a peppery rub, then smoke it until it reaches temperature. The result starts with a fresh 10-pound brisket and a cure built from salt, Cure #1, warm spices, garlic, and pickling spice.

Watch How to Make It

@thegalleryBBQ keeps the brisket whole or separates the flat and point for a more even cure. Either route works within the recipe, so it comes down to how you want to handle the brisket before it goes into the cure.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The cure brings together kosher salt, Cure #1, peppercorns, coriander, bay leaves, mustard seeds, allspice, cloves, garlic, cinnamon, and pickling spice. After curing, the brisket gets a second layer of seasoning with coarse black pepper, cracked coriander, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and mustard powder.

This method also includes a rinse and cold-water soak after the cure, followed by a heavy application of the pastrami rub on all sides. Then it heads to the smoker with a mild-to-medium smoke wood choice such as oak, hickory, cherry, or pecan.

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Ingredients You'll Need

Start with a 10-pound fresh beef brisket, trimmed with roughly 1/4 inch of fat left on the fat cap. The cure uses about 5 tablespoons kosher salt and about 5 teaspoons Prague Powder #1 for this size brisket, along with black peppercorns, coriander seeds, crushed bay leaves, mustard seeds, allspice, cloves, crushed garlic, a cinnamon stick, and pickling spice.

Cure #1 matters here. Use Prague Powder #1 that contains 6.25% sodium nitrite, and do not substitute Cure #2 or Himalayan pink salt. For the most precise cure, weigh the brisket and use the cure according to the package directions.

For the pastrami rub, gather coarse black pepper, cracked coriander, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and mustard powder. Yellow mustard or another thin binder is used before the rub goes on.

How To Make It

The process moves from trimming and curing to soaking, rubbing, smoking, and resting. Keep the brisket refrigerated at the stated temperature during the cure, and turn it daily so the cure stays evenly distributed. Prepare the Brisket

Trim the brisket, leaving roughly 1/4 inch of fat on the fat cap. Remove loose pieces of fat and silver skin, then leave the brisket whole or separate the flat and point if you want it to cure a little more evenly.

Make the Cure

Combine the kosher salt, Cure #1, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander, bay leaves, mustard seeds, allspice, cloves, garlic, cinnamon, and pickling spice. Rub the cure mixture thoroughly over every surface of the brisket, then place it in a large food-safe container or vacuum bag.

Refrigerate the brisket at 34-38°F. The brisket needs to remain refrigerated throughout this stage.

Cure the Brisket

for approximately 5-7 days, turning it over once each day so the cure remains evenly distributed. For a very thick whole packer brisket, lean toward 7 days.

During the cure, the meat will become noticeably firmer and darker. That change happens while the brisket rests under refrigeration with the cure mixture.

Rinse and Soak

After curing, rinse the brisket thoroughly. Place it in cold water for 1-2 hours, changing the water once during the soak.

Pat the brisket completely dry after soaking. Once dry, it is ready for the binder and pastrami rub.

Make the Pastrami Rub

For a 10-pound brisket, mix 1/2 cup coarse black pepper, 1/2 cup cracked coriander, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon mustard powder. Lightly coat the brisket with yellow mustard or another thin binder.

Apply the rub heavily on all sides of the brisket. Make sure the seasoned brisket is covered before it goes onto the smoker.

Smoke the Pastrami

Set the smoker to 250-275°F and use a mild-to-medium smoke such as oak, hickory, cherry, or pecan. Place the brisket on the smoker with the fat side positioned according to your cooker.

Smoke until the internal temperature reaches approximately 200-207°F and the bark is dark and well established. Remove the brisket, rest it for 3 or more hours, then slice and enjoy.

Serving & Variations

After the 3-hour rest, slice the pastrami and serve it as you like. The creator's finish is simple: slice and enjoy, letting the cured brisket and pastrami rub carry the flavor.

A useful planning note is to account for the full curing window before smoke day. A thick whole packer brisket can lean toward 7 days in the cure, while the finished brisket also needs its 3 or more hours of resting time before slicing.

Wrapping Up

This recipe builds homemade pastrami through a measured cure, a cold-water soak, a heavily applied pepper-and-coriander rub, and a smoke to approximately 200-207°F. Keep the Cure #1 specific, cure at 34-38°F, and give the finished brisket its full rest before slicing. Recipe created by @thegalleryBBQ for Trust Me Try It.

Homemade Pastrami from Brisket

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• Cure
• 10 lb fresh beef brisket
• 2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt per 5 lb of meat – about 5 tablespoons total
• 2 1/2 tsp Prague Powder #1 per 5 lb – about 5 teaspoons total Cure #1
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4-5 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 4-5 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2-3 tbsp pickling spice
• Important: Use Cure #1 / Prague Powder #1 that is 6.25% sodium nitrite. Do not substitute Cure #2 or Himalayan pink salt. For the most precise cure, weigh the brisket and use the cure according to the package directions.

Instructions

• Prepare the Brisket: Trim the brisket, leaving roughly ¼ inch of fat on the fat cap. Remove any loose pieces of fat and silver skin. You can leave the brisket whole, or separate the flat and point if you want it to cure a little more evenly.
• Make the Cure: Combine the kosher salt, Cure #1, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander, bay leaves, mustard seeds, allspice, cloves, garlic, cinnamon and pickling spice. Rub the cure mixture thoroughly over every surface of the brisket. Place the brisket in a large food-safe container or vacuum bag. Refrigerate at 34-38°F.
• Cure the Brisket: Cure for approximately 5-7 days, turning the brisket over once a day so the cure remains evenly distributed. For a very thick whole packer brisket, I’d lean toward 7 days. The meat will become noticeably firmer and darker as it cures. This is where things get really good. 😎.
• Rinse and Soak: After curing, rinse the brisket thoroughly. Place it in cold water for 1-2 hours, changing the water once. Pat completely dry.
• Make the Pastrami Rub: For a 10-pound brisket: ½ cup coarse black pepper. ½ cup cracked coriander. 2 tablespoons paprika. 1 tablespoon garlic powder. 1 tablespoon onion powder. 1 tablespoon brown sugar. 1 teaspoon mustard powder. Mix everything together. Lightly coat the brisket with yellow mustard or another thin binder, then apply the rub heavily on all sides.
• Smoke the Pastrami: Set your smoker to 250-275°F. Use a mild-to-medium smoke such as: Oak. Hickory. Cherry. Pecan.
• Place the brisket on the smoker with the fat side positioned according to your cooker. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches approximately 200-207F and the bark is dark and well established.
• remove rest for 3+ Hours slice and enjoy!