I came across this post on BBQ Brethren that caught my attention. It is worth a quick read. Sort of a fancy version of a fatty…with less fatty and more ribeye.

If you have ever had a really great pastrami, you may have tried to understand how it is prepared. You probably understand that it isn’t the easiest process to recreate. Pastrami has actually been around for hundreds of years. The word pastrami (pastramă) originated in Romania and represented a way of preserving meat before modern refrigeration. As years have passed, the art of creating a pastrami evolved into one of the staples of deli meats around the world.

The first time I made my first pastrami, it was glorious. I spent a lot of time reading
through articles about curing and meat selection. The ultimate process that I chose uses a
dry cure and takes seven days from start to finish. Don’t be too intimidated about the time. Most of it was just letting the meat cure in a refrigerator. The rest of the time are resting periods between different stages of prep.

There are not many consolidated step-by-step procedures listed on the internet, so here is
the process and recipe in all its glory:

Ingredients

1 or 2 whole untrimmed briskets (quantity depends on your available refrigeration and
steamer capacity, and how much pastrami you are trying to make).
3lbs course kosher salt
3lbs peppercorns
½lbs sugar
1lb coriander seeds (only buy this from Restaurant Depot or another bulk supplier)
3 Tbs whole cloves
10 whole bay laurel leaves
2 Tbs saltpeter (potassium nitrate)
3 cloves garlic

Equipment needed

Extra refrigerator (it will smell like pepper during this process)
Smoker
Coffee Grinder
Turkey fryer (or large steamer)
Meat slicer (not needed, but very nice to have)

Instructions

Day 1
Grind and combine the following salt mixture
3lbs course kosher salt
2lbs peppercorns
½lbs sugar
½lbs coriander seeds
3 Tbs whole cloves
10 whole bay laurel leaves
2 Tbs saltpeter (potassium nitrate)

You will need to use a coffee grinder if you purchased whole peppercorns. (NOTE: I usually
buy all of my peppercorns and coriander at Restaurant Depot. The price is much better and
they sell half-ground peppercorns, which work well for this recipe).

Because these pieces of meat will ultimately need to fit into your steamer, you will want
to cut the brisket into manageable sizes. I usually separate the point and flat, and
sometimes also cut the flat in half.

Rub the brisket with raw garlic then coat with salt mixture. Let sit, covered, in the
refrigerator for three days. Turn it every 12 hours.

Day 4
Rinse the meat under cold running water for 5 minutes and remove all the surface salt
mixture. Let it soak in fresh water (change the water every half hour) for 3 hours.

Coat the meat with two parts cracked black peppercorns and one part cracked coriander
seeds. Press the mixture into the meat. Weight it down and place in the refrigerator for eight hours.

Day 5
Smoke (cherry or another mild fruit wood) at 225 for eight hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165f.

Immediately weight the meat down and let cool for 24hours in the refrigerator.

Day 6
Steam the meat for three hours. I use a turkey fryer that is full of water. You will need to find a basket to hang above the hot water. I use a basket designed for grilling vegetables.  It fits perfectly over the fryer and provides enough space to steam a whole brisket.

Immediately weight the meat and let it cool for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Day 7
Steam the meat for 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy!