It’s glorious, that first bite of a warm pastrami sandwich on freshly baked rye. If you’ve ever eaten pastrami at a great Jewish deli, you know what I’m talking about. That moist, tender meat topped with spicy mustard is enough to make almost anyone swoon. When my husband and I took the Queen Mary from London to New York several years ago, we docked at 6:00am and found that we were hungry. Our first stop? Katz’s Deli for a pastrami on rye. It didn’t matter that the sun was barely up. Pastrami is good any time, day or night. When the appetite strikes, you must feed it. Trouble is, many of us don’t live close to a great Jewish deli, and mediocre pastrami can be SO disappointing. What can you do? Make it at home, that’s what!
I’ve tried my hand at homemade pastrami several times with varying degrees of success. It wasn’t until a publisher sent me a review copy of The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home that I finally found a recipe worth blogging about. In their fabulous cookbook, authors Nick Zukin and Michael C. Zusman give workable home kitchen recipes for many Jewish deli favorites. In addition to uncovering the secrets of making these classic recipes at home, Nick and Michael delve into the traditional techniques used in deli kitchens. They also include nostalgic profiles of the most famous deli establishments in North America, including Katz’s in New York and Mile End in Montreal.
Nick Zukin helped to open Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen in Portland, one of the first Jewish delicatessens “focused on producing artisanal eats.” Michael C. Zusman is a state court judge who also does freelance food and restaurant writing. His bread recipes are currently used at Kenny & Zuke’s.
Deli-style pastrami emerged in New York during the late 19th century and remains a best seller on most deli menus. Because of its lengthy and laborious process, very few delis still cure and carve their own pastrami. Zukin and Zusman have whittled down the process to a very simple, doable recipe that requires relatively little effort. After making a simple brine the meat cures in the refrigerator for 5 days, then it’s rubbed with a spice blend and left to cook in a slow oven for a few hours. According to the authors:
“Delicatessen aficionados might cringe at the idea of making pastrami in the oven, since wood smoking is supposed to be the customary cooking method. At least that’s what they think. In truth, some of the most lauded pastrami and smoked meat involve no wood smoke at all. In his must read chronicle, Save the Deli, David Sax reveals that the smoky flavor in commercially produced pastrami comes from fat dripping down and sizzling on the gas element of the large ovens that are used.”
Side note: I love Save the Deli, I actually covered it on the blog a few years back.
To add that smoky flavor to the brisket, Zukin and Zusman use a hefty dose of smoked paprika (one of my favorite spices!). The result is delicious, quality pastrami hot and fresh from your own oven. My house smelled just like a deli while it was cooking. The flavor and texture were delightful– tender and flavorful. I tested the recipe multiple times just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. It’s not. This is some killer pastrami.
I stayed pretty true to Zukin and Zusman’s recipe, though I did adapt it slightly by cutting back on the salt. My first test round was extremely salty– good for a bite or two, but if I’d eaten a few slices I would have puffed up like a balloon. The next testing round I cut the kosher salt in the brine in half. I thought it might be too much and that I’d have to add some back in, but half the salt actually provided the perfect flavor. My five dinner guests taste-tested it for me, and they all agreed that the lower sodium brine it was plenty salty. So I present the recipe with the kosher salt halved; if you prefer to try it as written in the cookbook, use 2 cups of kosher salt in the brine.
Update: Nick Zukin let me know in the comments that they used Diamond large crystal kosher salt, which has less salt per cup than Morton’s. I didn’t realize that salt content varies from brand to brand. I am updating my recipe instructions to reflect the brand of salt we used. Thanks to Nick for the heads up!
Don’t be daunted by the long prep time, the preparation is actually very simple. Most of the time here is spent on curing the pastrami in the refrigerator. After that it’s no more difficult than roasting a brisket on a rack. The results are totally worth the wait. I have to hand it to Nick Zukin and Michael Zusman, this is a genius recipe. Their book has a lot of other great recipes for Jewish deli classics including Classic Deli Sandwich Rye, Onion-Poppy Seed Bialys and Cabbage and Smoked Meat Borscht. If you love deli food like I do, check out The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home. You’ll be glad you did!
What’s your favorite place to get a hot pastrami on rye?
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Homemade Pastrami
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- 3/4 cup Morton's coarse kosher salt (178 grams) OR 1 1/3 cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (181 grams) - these two brands are NOT interchangeable, the same weight provides two very different cup measurements
- 2 teaspoons pink curing salt (12 grams) - Pink curing salt is also known as Prague Mix #1, Instacure #1 or Curing Salt #1 - NOT Himalayan pink salt. See safety note below.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole yellow mustard seeds
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 5 pounds beef brisket
Spice Rub Ingredients
- 1/4 cup ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
NOTES
Instructions
- To make the brine, fill a medium to large stockpot with 3 quarts water. Add the kosher and pink salts, granulated sugar, pickling spice, coriander and mustard seeds, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often to fully dissolve the salt and sugar in the water. Immediately remove the pot from the heat once the brine boils.Add 3 quarts ice cold water to a 2-gallon or larger food-safe container that will fit in your refrigerator (you can also use a strong sealing 2-gallon marination bag - double bag for extra insurance). Pour the brine into the container and place it uncovered in the refrigerator until completely cool. You can also divide the brine evenly between two separate containers so that it will fit better in the refrigerator.
- Trim the fat from the brisket until the fat layer is about 1/4 inch thick.
- If necessary, cut the brisket in half so that it will fit into your container(s).
- Submerge the brisket in the cooled brine.Allow the brisket to brine in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 days, flipping it daily top to bottom and stirring the brine. Make sure that if any of the brisket sides are touching one another you regularly turn them away from each other to expose all of the sides to the brine.
- To cook the brisket, pour 4 cups water into the bottom of a 12 by 15 inch roasting pan. Set a rack inside the pan and place the brisket on the rack, fatty side down.
- To make the spice rub, mix together the coriander, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Evenly rub 1/4 cup of the mixture onto the top of the brisket. Then flip the brisket and rub the remaining spice mixture onto the fatty side. Allow the brisket to come to room temperature, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees with a rack low enough to fit the pan holding the brisket. Tightly cover the brisket and pan with a double layer of aluminum foil.
- Bake until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees, about 1 hour per pound or 5 hours total. Start checking internal temp at 3 hours and periodically every 20-30 minutes or so to avoid overcooking.
- Without trimming the fat, carve the pastrami into 1/4 inch thick slices, or cut as thin as possible without the meat falling apart. Keep tightly wrapped, or in a sealed container in the fridge, for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- SAFETY NOTE: handle the pink curing salt with care and keep it out of reach of children. It is used in pastrami and other cured meats to kill bacteria, prevent botulism and add flavor. However it is extremely toxic if ingested directly; in fact, it's colored pink to prevent people from mistaking it for regular salt. When used with care in recipes like this, it is very safe and necessary for proper flavor and food safety. That said, you should know the risks and keep the curing salt properly labeled and out of the reach of children.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Chris says
Pastrami is smoked before steaming.
Tori Avey says
Chris, clearly most people don’t own a smoker at home – which is why this recipe exists. If you have a smoker feel free to use it, so much the better!
Bill says
How long did you Smokey it for and then did you steam it in the oven afterwards
Col Townes says
excellent recipe thankyou very much my family love both salt beef and pastrami.
Sarah says
If I’m making a 16 pound brisket do I make the recipe x4?
Eli says
Tori,
Making your delicious recipe for Thanksgiving for the 5th year in a row and it’s a big hit. Have been searching for deli mustard recipes and have not found any that look like they would match up with this delicious pastrami. Prefer not to buy it and make it myself
Any mustard recipes?
Kathy says
I followed this recipe exactly and the pastrami turned out beautifully. This is such an easy recipe and being from Canada and now living in Australia this just brings back wonderful memories of our favourite Jewish deli. Thank you so much!
Liat says
Hi Tori, thank you so much for all of your amazing Jewish recipes. They’ve kept me company out here in London when I’m so homesick for food back home in NYC (and my grandmother’s cooking)!
Can this recipe be made without sugar? Apologies if this is a ridiculous question, but I am allergic to sugar in all forms (including white sugar, brown sugar, and honey) and I have a serious craving for pastrami! 🙂
Tori Avey says
Oh goodness Liat, I’m sorry you have that allergy! I am not really sure if this can be made without sugar. I am not a curing expert, sadly – this recipe comes from The Artisan Jewish Deli at Home, so you might reach out to Nick Zukin and Michael Zusman if you can find their contact. Best of luck! Hang in there, I know that homesick feeling, it’s difficult! Check out Golders Green if you haven’t yet, there are some decent kosher delis there. 🙂
Agust Pedersen says
Hi can I use saltpetre instead of pink salt ? it was like that back in the days so I wonder if possible still ?’
Bill Powell says
I checked local grocery stores for Cure #1 or a similar curing mixture, brought home Morton’s Tender Quick, then read numerous sources online that said this is not the same as Cure #1, Prague mixture, etc. Glad I found this out before trying to make pastrami that might have been dangerous. Just a heads up for other would-be pastrami makers — as this product may be the only one you find. Keep looking!
I’ll order the proper curing agent online.
William Scarbrough says
I buy my salt at Academy Sports in the BBQ area. About a dollar for a small bottle.
Drew says
I am confused by the amount of liquid. I have 10lbs of brisket so I doubled the recipe. Now I have 12 courts of brine. That is 3 gallonsbof brine, I covered the brisket in a large container and I still have almost 2 gallons of brine that I cant use. Did I read something wrong?
Kristina says
I have the same issue. How was your pastrami?
Melvin Johnson says
Went to n.y a few weeks ago and stopped by a place I cant call the name of right now but they gave me a taste test on the brisket and the pastrami now mind you I’m from the south(Carolina that is lol) and I smoke brisket on a regular base so it was no mistake about me choosing the pastrami I was totally blown away so immediately once I got home I started my research and here we are I’ve followed your recipe down to the ‘T’ so wish me luck and thank u for the share
Luis Espinoza says
Hi Tori :
The pink curing salt is impossible to get, because is such a kind of condiment that is not commonly used in my country, and I would like to know if there is an alternative to this specific condiment that I can use without altering the quality of the final product.
Now let me introduce myself. My name is Luis Espinoza, I’m a 62 years old retired food professional looking for the opportunity to start a pastrami deli business, and since pastrami is a product that is not very common to find here in Ecuador, I’ve been researching the idea of this project for almost a year, and I am totally sure that it will give positive results, in the past I had a deli yogurt business, and it went quite well.
Me and my wife are not new to the food business and we have decided to go on this project, so please let me know what condiment can we use to replace the the pink curing salt. If you tell me that I must use the pink curing salt, we will have no choice but to get it online in the USA.
We thank you in advance for your help and looking forward to hear from you soon, we remain.
Kind regards.
Tori Avey says
Hi Luis, I don’t know of a substitute for the pink curing salt. Sorry!
Michael says
Have you tried to order the pink salt on line? That’s where I got mine from. But I’m in the USA so it’s very easy to do that.
Barbara Austin says
Prague powder #1 contains 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% sodium chloride as per FDA and USDA regulations. Perhaps you can mix up your own, Luis!
CC says
I made this pastrami and it’s SPECTACULAR! I didn’t have storage containers large enough for the meat and brine, so I split it up into zipper storage bags. I still followed the instructions of moving the meat around each day. Excellent recipe and instructions, thank you so much for posting! Will definitely make again!
Carl H. says
Do you brine covered or uncovered? And I plan to smoke it after, covered in foil and water in bottom of dish?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Carl, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. You should cover before placing in the refrigerator.
Dave says
If I may add, for the proper and scientific curing procedure where the curing salts are by weight and thickness of the meat, google AmazingRibs.Com. They know how to cure, grill and smoke most everything. There are food scientists consulted and an amazingly skilled, advising professor.
So before you start throwing Prague powder #1into the brine, know it’s toxic as mentioned and with the advent of pink Himalayan cooking salt, CLEARLY LABEL the pink curing salt and store well away from little hands. I’ve cured six inch tick beef shoulder roasts for playing with corned beef to see how it worked. It was pink thru all but the inside square inch.
Using the measurements indicated on the sites calculator, make the cure accordingly. Don’t guess.
David Seremet says
I want to try this but my wife is deathly allergic to honey. May I omit it and perhaps substitute a bit more brown sugar. Since the honey is only in the brine it may not be a concern but I don’t want to take the chance (unless the life insurance premium is paid up!)
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi David, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. If your wife is fine with agave, I would suggest using that as a sub. Hope this helps!
David Seremet says
I just used a little more brown sugar. The results were wonderful! I just used a two pound brisket to test the recipe. Six pounds are brining as we speak.
Leah says
Can this be made without sugar and only honey as the sweetener?
Jeff Bonnell says
Hi. I used this recipe using bison brisket and it turned out the Maisie I don’t know if I can attach a couple of photographs but I followed the recipe exactly only I substituted the bison brisket that I bought at a local organic farm and it is wonderful !!! https://www.instagram.com/p/BzTtP2OHT_n/?igshid=1ussj0bzb29xf
Regina Hagerty says
Can this technique also be used for turkey breast?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Regina, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We have not tried this recipe using turkey breast, so unfortunately I cannot say if it would work.
Veronica Rojas says
Hello, I’ve got to this recipe and to the book trough reading this blog. I’ ve alredy made the recipe of pastrami and corned beef, both following the recipes step by step, the result was was good but not as great as I’ve expected. The flavor is great, but I found them dry. I would like to have a “juicer” pastrami and corned beef, more like Katz’s pastrami. Any ideas or tips to get this more humid in the inside? Thanks!
Leonor Godinho says
Hey! Are the degrees in fahrenheit or celsius?
Thank you very much,
Leonor
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Leonor, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. The temperatures are in Fahrenheit.
Marisa McGillivray says
After taking it out of the brine the meat is rock hard. Any suggestions? Is this supposed to happen?
Tori Avey says
It shouldn’t be rock hard. Not sure what happened!