How to Make Homemade Pastrami (Everything You Need to Know)

For some time now in our Facebook group a comment about making pastrami at home came out on top. Yes, you can make this delicacy yourself! Eva, author of Bake-Street and passionate about culinary challenges, she happily agreed to bring us her best homemade pastrami recipe. Enjoy!

Believe it or not, I had never tried Pastrami. Yes, I know it’s going to sound crazy to you... Given how much I love food, how is it possible that I hadn’t tried this delicacy? I couldn’t tell you. Maybe it’s the huge amount of food available within our reach that means I get around to some of it late, or it just didn’t seem very appealing... The point is, I’ve discovered a delicacy I have no intention of giving up, ever. Today I’m showing you how to make homemade pastrami.

For those of you who aren’t very familiar with this product, I’ll tell you a bit about it and its production process.

What is pastrami?

El Pastrami, also known as Pastrami, it is a product made with red meat (typically beef) that undergoes a brining process (water with a salt concentration greater than 5%).

Its name may etymologically derive from Romanian from the verb "pastra" which means to keep and/or preserve. It is believed that it may have originated with Jewish immigration from Bessarabia (Russian Empire) to the United States in the second half of the 19th century. Today it is cooked with pastrami in Moldova and can be considered a clear hallmark of local Jewish cuisine.

To make it, take a piece of meat, usually brisket or flank, rinse it with cold water to draw out the blood (though this step can be skipped), and submerge it in a spiced brine for about 6 days. In some cases the time is extended to as much as 15 days. Then it is dried, coated with spices, and smoked. Finally, it is steamed, always monitoring the temperature to achieve perfect doneness with a juicy result.

What should we keep in mind when making homemade pastrami?

The first thing we must keep in mind is that we’re going to work with a piece of raw meat and, for that very reason, we must take extra care with hygiene and the steps to follow.

We must wash our hands meticulously every time we're going to work with and/or handle the piece of meat. I would also recommend that you use gloves at all times. Just like the containers in which we will leave the meat to brine, they must be clean and made of glass or another material that can withstand and is suitable for this use. In my case I have used large glass containers.

When we subject meat to a curing process, whether wet or dry, we run the risk that the bacteria of botulism. Don't be afraid, because There are products that prevent this from happening. That's why it's important that read the entire process carefully before you start preparing it.

What is botulism?

It is a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that is found in contaminated areas such as soils or untreated waters.

It is an anaerobic bacterium (capable of surviving or developing in an environment without oxygen) whose spores can survive in contaminated foods or those subjected to improper processing and/or storage. To grow, it needs low-acid or alkaline environments with pH values above 4.5.

How can we prevent this bacterium from growing in our pastrami?

The use of table salt and spices acts as powerful bactericides, but if the curing process is going to be more than two days, we must make use of curing salt or Prague powder.

We can find it in the two formats mentioned above and We need to distinguish them when using them because they are not the same.

Nitro salt and Prague powder

The curing salt, saltpeter or potassium nitrate is a chemical compound that prevents the growth of this bacterium during the curing process of meats, sausages, and fish. In addition to contributing that rosy hue to meats; pastrami, Serrano ham, chorizo... it gives a strong, spicy flavor by binding to the iron atoms in myoglobin, forming nitric oxide, which is responsible for delaying the development of rancid flavors in the fat.

It occurs naturally, but it has been produced industrially to ensure food preservation. In fact, you can find it on the labels of many products under the name E252.

El Prague powder it has the same characteristics as curing salt, but with the difference that this is a mixture of table salt with saltpeter that we will find with a pink shade, so the amount of this latter ingredient is reduced compared to pure nitrite salt. This pinkish color is added so it won't be confused with table salt.

That's why, in some recipes, you'll find they use a larger amount when Prague powder or nitro salt is used.

You must be careful and know which element you are working with since the Pure saltpeter is a nitrate and this compound, at a dose higher than recommended, It is toxic and deadly to humans.

Don't be alarmed when reading all this, if we follow the steps correctly, there's no risk of poisoning ourselves. But I do want to emphasize each of the ingredients so that you don't run any risk to your health, since there are many recipes in which the quantities are incorrect and therefore harmful to us.

How much curing salt should I use?

In my case, I’ve used saltpeter or pure potassium nitrate. That is, the chemical compound that’s mixed with Prague powder. The reason for using this ingredient is that, in Spain, I haven’t been able to buy the other ingredient. I imagine it may be because it’s not something that’s used much in our homes.

The amount I have added is very little for that reason, just 0,4gr. This amount is not random; in my case, the manufacturer of the product I used specified that I should use 0,15gr saltpeter/kilo of meat. Saltpeter must be mixed with table salt at 1%, and depending on what we are going to make, it must in no case exceed 2%.

Of course, in your case, always follow the product specifications you use and those set by the manufacturer.

Making our Pastrami

After all the spiel I gave you earlier, which I consider to be of utmost importance, we will continue with the process for our Pastrami.

This meat, besides being put in a brine to cure it, should also be scented with spices. To that end, we’ll make good use of them, along with garlic cloves. It’s very important to create a super aromatic environment that penetrates the meat we’ll cook later.

After removing it from the brine, rinse it under cold water to remove the salt, dry it very well, and coat it with spices and a little mustard (using it is optional, but recommended).

To cook it is It's very important that you follow the steps I specify in the process as well as the temperatures I detail for you. If there’s anything tricky when it comes to cooking meat, it’s nailing the exact doneness. You'll see that I haven't smoked the meat; believe me, I would have loved to, but the DIY methods I've seen for doing it at home didn't convince me. If one day I can do it on a BBQ with good results, I'll let you know.

First We will cook the meat on a rack, this way a bit of liquid will be released and we'll ensure the spices finish toasting so they become more aromatic. Then we will wrap it in aluminum foil to finish cooking.

We will let it rest and cool before consuming. At this point we can do two things: slice it like a cold cut, or steam it until it reaches 90ºC at the center. Highly recommended if you want to achieve juicy, very tender meat.

I know it’s a somewhat long and laborious process, but it’s definitely well worth it considering the price it goes for in store (42€/kg) and the price at which we’ll get 2 1/2 Kg of homemade pastrami (the piece cost me 19€).

Luigi Bormioli beer glasses and wooden cutting boards

Step-by-step to prepare homemade pastrami or pastrón

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Kg of veal flank or brisket, without removing the outer fat

For the brine:

• 3,75 L of water
• 200gr of salt
• 0,4gr of curing salt
• 120gr of sugar
• 50gr of light muscovado sugar
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds
• 3 crushed Cobán chiles
• 1 tablespoon of whole allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon of cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of ground maca (optional)

To coat the meat:

• 4 tablespoons of sauce of mustard of good quality
• 3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, toasted and ground
• 3 tablespoons of coriander seeds, toasted and ground

*I have followed the recipe and preparation process, with some adaptation, of The sauce at BBQ

Step-by-step preparation of pastrami

1) We prepare the spices

1. In a frying pan medium, we add the coriander seeds along with the black pepper and the mustard.
2. Set over medium heat and leave until it starts to brown slightly and give off a fragrant aroma.
3. We remove from the heat and transfer to a mortar.
4. We gently crush them; we don't want to grind the spices but crack them so they lend more aroma to the brine.
5. Add the remaining spices to the mortar and mix.
6. We booked.

2) Prepare the brine

1. Mix the salt with the curing salt. Set aside.
2. In a pot very large we pour the water along with the salt mixture, the two types of sugar, the crushed garlic and all the spices.
3. Leave over medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.
4. Once it comes to a boil, let it cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat.
5. We let the brine cool completely.

3) We add the meat to the brine

1. We wash our hands very well with soap, dry them, and put on some gloves (in my case I used vinyl ones), and we wash the meat with very cold water.
2. We insert into a large container and we pour the brine over it.
3. To make sure the meat doesn’t float, we’ll place a flat plate on top of it. We’ll place the base of the plate directly on the meat to ensure no air bubbles form.
4. We cover the container very well with plastic wrap—I recommend 2–3 layers—and put it in the refrigerator.
5. We leave the meat in the brine for 6 days.

Stainless steel pot and Mediterranean crystal tale

4) What should we do during these 6 days?

1. Each day We need to flip the meat and stir the brine so that all the ingredients don't settle at the bottom.
2. Very important, each time we get ready to flip the meat and stir the brine We must wash our hands thoroughly. In addition to use new gloves each time we do this step.
3. We flip the meat, stir the brine well, place the plate back, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the next day.

5) After 6 days have passed...

1. Once the resting time has passed, we will remove the meat from the brine. Remember Always handle meat with gloves.
2. We rinse under a stream of cold water to remove the excess salt. The meat will have a muted color due to salt curing, this is completely normal.
3. We will place it on a rack, to let it drain, and Dry very well with paper towels.
4. We spread two tablespoons of mustard (approximately) over the entire surface of one side and we cover with pepper and ground coriander.
5. Repeat the process on the other side of the meat. Don't forget to cover the sides as well.
6. Let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

6) We bake

1. We preheat in the oven to 110ºC with top and bottom heat.
2. We cover a tray lined with aluminum foil and place it under the rack. It should be in the middle position.
3. We put it in the oven, place it on the rack at medium height, and cook for 1 hour.
4. After this time, we take out of the oven and we wrap very well in aluminum foil. We will use 3 sheets to wrap it and we will try to make it very tight.
5. We put it back in the oven, this time placed on a tray, and bake for 2½ - 3 hours more at the same temperature. Our meat must reach the internal temperature of 70ºC inside, pressing the central part of the piece.
6. We take it out of the oven, prick the base through the aluminum foil, place it on a rack with a weight on top, and let it cool completely.
7. Once it has cooled, refrigerate covered with aluminum foil until the next day.

7) Ready to enjoy our wonderful homemade pastrami:

1. You can enjoy pastrami sliced straight from the piece, thin or thick to your liking, or give it a quick steam to make it juicy.
2. We preheat the oven to 110ºC with top and bottom heat.
3. Place a roasting pan in the oven and set a rack over it with a sheet of aluminum foil. Pour 4 cups of boiling water and place the pastrami on the rack.
4. We cover the entire tray containing the pastrami with aluminum foil, sealing all the gaps, and cook until reach an internal temperature of 90ºC. The tray must never run out of boiling water; if necessary, we will add more.
5. We take out, let it rest for 30 minutes and we enjoyed.

Wooden cutting boards and Rösle Knife and Meat Fork Set

Notes

• The best cut of meat for making pastrami is beef brisket or beef navel. It can also be done with a skirt from the top section, but it looks better with the piece I recommend.
• When you buy the meat, ask your butcher to do not remove the grease from the part.
• If you buy the same quantity as I do, You will need to divide the piece into two equal parts to carry out the brining process. Mainly because I didn’t have a container big enough to store it in the refrigerator. I used two very large glass bowls and divided the brine, cooled and whisked so nothing settles on the bottom, between the two containers.
• You can halve the recipe without any trouble. In my case, I decided to make this batch because of the work it entails—so I can enjoy it more!
• The meat must always be covered by brine, no piece of meat can be left exposed or floating.
• Remember to turn the meat every day, as well as to stir the brine.
• Always wear gloves whenever you handle meat and wash your hands thoroughly.
• If the brining process really scares you, you can always buy Corned Beef which is corned beef, which will let you skip the first part of the process.
• You can also carry out a brining process of 24-48 hours max and omit the use of saltpeter. The flavor won't be the same, but with good results as well.
• Respect the temperatures of cooking and control them with a digital thermometer.
• Once the pastrami is ready, it can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

I hope you’re encouraged to prepare Homemade pastrami at home. As I was saying, for me it has become an essential! It's absolutely delicious sliced very thin or a bit thicker, the way my partner likes it.

You can make countless incredible sandwiches, or just enjoy it as is. Its aromatic, spicy flavor... along with that tenderness and juiciness has captivated us forever.

We can't wait to see yours!