Homemade Pastrami Recipe
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Tender, homemade pastrami is a labor of love, but isn’t at all difficult to make — it just takes time! Each step of this pastrami recipe builds flavor from the bottom up, from the salty brine to the peppery dry rub all the way to the smoker.
Pastrami is a spiced, tender brisket that is either smoked or roasted. Anyone familiar with this succulent deli meat knows a good pastrami recipe is all about that black pepper flavor, and I promise that my dry rub has plenty of it to go around! It’s coated in an incredible, peppery crust but maintains a juicy bite. It’s delicious!
Here I outline how to make pastrami from either packaged corn beef or by corning a fresh beef brisket yourself. This requires some homemade brining — a process that makes any meat, from salmon to turkey to pork, amazingly tender and moist.
Table of Contents
We have a lot to cover, so I’ll make one final comment: this is a hands-on, involved pastrami recipe. But you’ll be so happy that you took the time to learn how to make pastrami with your own two hands.
To Steam or Not to Steam?
To make the most tender pastrami, first, you’ll brine the brisket. You then encrust the brisket with a coarsely ground spice mix and then smoke it. A final (optional step) is to steam the pastrami to tenderize it.
I personally always steam it for that ultimate fall-apart goodness. I give you all the information and options in the recipe card below!
- Corned Beef – You can either make your own or use store-bought corned beef — just know you’ll have to add an extra step by desalinating the pre-made meat.
- Black Pepper – Coarsely ground, freshly cracked black pepper is preferred for dry rubs for a textured crust and amazing pop of flavor when you bite into it.
- Ground Coriander – A little peppery and very lemony. Substitute with cumin if needed.
- Ground Mustard – This is a bitter seasoning that becomes much stronger when cooked — a little goes a long way.
- Brown Sugar – Far more effective in a dry rub than white. Its flavor is deeper and more complex and helps to form a really delicious crust.
- Garlic & Onion Powder – There isn’t too much to say about this dynamic duo of seasonings! Granulated garlic or onion are fine substitutes in this dry rub.
- Chili Powder – Store-bought powder, unless it’s a specific blend, can contain any combination of spices: any mild chili pepper (such as Ancho, New Mexico, or California), cayenne, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and Mexican oregano. If you make it at home, you’ll know exactly what’s in it!
Venting While Smoking
There are a lot of opinions on keeping the vent open or closed during the smoking process. As the smoker has limited smoke, I keep it closed for the first hour, then open it up for ventilation and constant airflow so I don’t have to keep re-loading with wood chips (you won’t have to worry about this if using a Traeger).
I’ve read that with time and temp the ability of meats to retain smoke diminishes past 140 degrees F. So it’s usually a 2 to 4-hour smoke window for optimum smoke absorption.
- Prepare Meat. Remove the meat from its package and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. OR if you’re starting with a beef brisket, follow the brining instructions in my homemade corned beef recipe and then proceed as follows.
- Dry Rub & Cure. Add all of the dry rub ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Rinse off the beef and shake off excess water before rubbing the seasonings all over its surface. Place the seasoned beef on a platter and refrigerate, uncovered, for 8 hours. (You could go right to the smoker or oven without air curing, but I find it adds the most flavor).
- Smoke. Give the meat two hours to come to temperature before transferring to the smoker. Smoke for 6 hours at 225°F, or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F. See the recipe card for additional guidance on using your specific smoker.
- Steam. For that extra tenderness I highly recommend steaming until it reaches 204°F, see below.
- Slice. Transfer to a cutting board. Discard any remaining fat cap, if desired, before slicing against the grain into 1/8″ pieces.
How to Make Pastrami in the Oven
Follow instructions 1 and 2 above, and then continue:
- Prepare Oven & Pan. Give the meat two hours to come to temperature and preheat the oven to 300°F. Pour 4 cups of water into the roasting pan and line with a wire rack.
- Roast. Place the meat on the rack with the fatty side facing up. Tightly wrap both the meat and roasting pan with a double layer of aluminum foil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 3 to 4 hours (usually an hour per pound) until the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
- Steam. For that extra tenderness I highly recommend steaming until it reaches 204°F, see below.
- Slice. Transfer to a cutting board and slice against the grain into 1/8″ pieces.
How to Steam Pastrami
Remember that this is an optional step, but I almost always steam my pastrami for the most tender brisket possible! After roasting or smoking, the meat can be cooled and refrigerated (not yet sliced) for up to 5 days to steam later on.
- Prepare Steamer. Fill the pot with enough water to leave just an inch of space between the water and steamer rack.
- Steam. Heat over medium-low and steam for two hours, periodically checking the water level and adding more as needed so that the meat steams the whole time.
- Slice. Remove the meat from the pot just before it hits 204°F — the meat will continue to cook as it rests (see above image after 5 minutes it hit 207°F!). Transfer to a cutting board and slice against the grain into 1/8″ pieces.
Recommended Tools
- 12×15″ Roasting Pan – You’ll also need a wire rack to keep the meat above the water.
- Smoker – I switch between using my Traeger or Masterbuilt 30” Digital Electric Smoker.
- Steamer – Alternatively, you could use an Instant Pot with a strainer made to fit the size of the machine.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate your hard-earned homemade pastrami for up to 5 days. If you don’t think you’ll eat it within that time, freeze it so you don’t waste a single bite!
Freeze after slicing so that you can individually wrap, store, and thaw only as much as you plan on eating at one time. It also thaws much faster this way.
Reheat in the microwave or by steaming to keep the meat moist and juicy.
Not necessarily. Pastrami and corned beef are both cut from the brisket and are brined before cooking, but the cooking itself is what separates them.
Corned beef is boiled or braised in broth alongside potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. A pastrami recipe, alternatively, is dry rubbed, air-cured overnight, and then either smoked or roasted.
Pastrami is made from a beef brisket. It is sometimes specifically from a “deckle” or “point” cut, which are the two fattier cuts on top of the flat cut — the cut most often used to make corned beef.
Brisket needs to brine for 5 to 10 days before it is dry rubbed, air-cured, and then smoked.
The length of time depends on how strong you want the flavor to be. Some feel 10 days is too long and only brine for 5. I go into a little more detail in my corned beef recipe where I describe the brining process.
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How to Make Pastrami
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb corned beef (See Note 1)
Pastrami Dry Rub
- 4 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground mustard
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder (See Note 2)
Instructions
For Pre-Packaged Corned Beef
- Take the corned beef out of it’s packaging and rinse with cold water. Place in a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Keep refrigerated overnight or 4 hours minimum to remove the excess salt. This is the desalinating process.
For Beef Brisket
- If starting with a beef brisket, see my recipe on How to Make Corned Beef first to brine, then go straight to applying the dry rub.
Dry Rub
- In a small bowl whisk together the dry rub ingredients. Rinse corned beef in water and allow excess to drip off. Apply dry rub mixture evenly over all sides. Place on a platter and refrigerate over night or 8 hours. No need to cover with plastic wrap because when you remove it most of the dry rub sticks to the wrap and is wasted. Air cured is fine overnight, but feel free to go right to the smoker. I have found overnight adds more flavor then straight to the smoker or oven. Use your own discretion.
Smoke the Brisket (Option 1)
- Let the brisket come to room temperature, about 2 hours. Smoke the brisket for approximately 6 hours at 225°F. We will want an internal temperature of 200°F for that tender meat. (See Note 4).
- Steam. For that extra tenderness I highly recommend steaming until it reaches 204°F (see below).
- Feel free to discard whatever fat cap is still there and not rendered down completely. With a sharp knife be sure to slice across the grain into about 1/8″ and serve! Slicing across the grain will ensure a tender, fall apart piece of pastrami.
Oven Roast (Option 2)
- Let the brisket come to room temperature, about 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pour 4 cups cold water into the bottom of a 12×15" roasting pan lined with a wire rack inside the pan.
- Place the brisket on the wire rack, fatty side up. Tightly cover the brisket and roasting pan with a double layer aluminum foil. Bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F. This should take about 1 hour per pound or 3 to 4 hours total. Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Steam. For that extra tenderness I highly recommend steaming until it reaches 204°F (see below).
- With a sharp knife be sure to slice across the grain into about 1/8″ and serve! Slicing across the grain will ensure a tender, fall apart piece of pastrami.
Steaming (Maximum Tenderness)
- If not steaming right away allow meat to cool and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours, covered with a loose fitting piece of aluminum foil (We don’t want the dry rub to come off). Otherwise take directly to the steamer. (See below instructions).
- If refrigerated, remove from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, then steam for 2 hours. I use a bamboo steamer with the meat resting on a bit of aluminum foil (See Note 4). In a large pot over medium low heat pour enough water in pot that there is an inch gap between steamer rack and water and steam for 2 hours. Check occasionally to make sure water does not evaporate and refill as needed. We want an internal temperature of 204°F. Just before it hits that I turn off the heat because the meat will continue to cook. (See picture in post, it rose all the away to 207°F while resting!)
- If you don't have a steamer, you could use an Instant Pot. Use the Instant Pot with the strainer made to fit the IP size. Put the smoked, refrigerated pastrami in the steamer basket, added 1 cup water and set it on STEAM and LOW for 2 hours.
- Feel free to discard whatever fat cap is still there and not rendered down completely. With a sharp knife be sure to slice across the grain into about 1/8″ and serve! Slicing across the grain will ensure a tender, fall apart piece of pastrami.
Notes
- Either use a pre-packaged Corned Beef or a beef brisket. If starting with a beef brisket, see my recipe on How to Make Corned Beef first, then go straight to applying the dry rub.
- Unless a chili powder is specific, like Ancho Chili Powder, it can be made up of various ingredients. Basic Chili Powder mixes include Ancho, New Mexico, California or any other mild chili pepper, cayenne powder, ground black peppercorns, cumin, coriander and Mexican oregano.
- I use either my Traeger Smoker or a Masterbuilt 30″ Digital Electric Smoker, but follow your smoker instructions. For the Masterbuilt, add an inch of water to the water tray, and use cherry wood chips, or maple, apple or grape. While the smoke flavor is going to add to the quality of the pastrami, you do not want to overpower the flavor with a strong woods like hickory or mesquite.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil and lay meat on top in steamer. If you don’t have a bamboo steamer a metal one will do fine that you use for steaming vegetables. Another steamer method is propping the plate and beef on top of rolled up prices of aluminum foil to raise it up and pour water in pot up to plate and steam.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi Kevin,
I made your pastrami and it was incredible!
Your recipe was clear and easy to follow. I started with your corned beef.
My husband was the one that gave me the idea and now he is in heaven!
Thanks!!!!
Thank you Eliana! I am so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I have made this twice now and am currently working on number 3. I love this recipe and bought a couple corned beef briskets on sale a couple days after St Pattys day! Totally delicious on Rye bread with Japanese Mayo. Lettuce. Tomato and of course, coarse grain deli mustard!
That sounds great! I need that for lunch today!
The best part tho, is that I now have enough frozen for 2 more sandwiches when my wife says “ we’re having leftovers for dinner” haha. I say bring on those leftovers!
Awesome!
I made this this weekend i am very happy with it. I used the corned beef method. I will be doing it again. In the future I am going to start with the brisket flat and do it all from start to finish. Thanks for the recipes.
I am glad you enjoyed it Bill! I hope you find more recipes you enjoy!
Any reason not to smoke and complete the cooking process in the smoker, as opposed to steaming it at the end?
You could do that Steven, but it will not be the same. Give it a try and let me know!
I have made this recipe at least 6 times. In fact, I’m eating it as I type this now. It’s fantastic every time. Once I made it with a standard (not corned) brisket and it was good, but lacked the flavor I wanted, so now I used corned beef every time. Next time I am trying your recipe for making my own corned beef out of an 11 lb brisket I had in my freezer. My picky 17 year old son says I should quit my job and make pastrami full time.
I liked the cooking details and recipe details, however… what you like and what steamer/smoker you use are irrelevant to how to do it..Perhaps your disclaimers after the necessary info has been stated, perhaps then you can satisfy your desire to bloviate.
Have a great day Amicus.
Thank You for your excellent detailed instructions. I’m starting this right now to be smoked tomorrow. I’m, also, smoking peppers while smoking the corned beef, to make Smoked Paprika ! Might as well kill 2 birds with 1 stone ! Again, Thank You !
That sounds like a great idea! Thank you for the kind words on my instructions!
Have you tried doing the steaming portion on low steam in an instapot for the 2 hrs?
I have not Hanley, I’ll have to look into this, thanks. Have you and what was the result?
Hi Kevin – yes I used my Instapot with the strainer made to fit my IP size, put the smoked, refrigerated pastrami in the steamer basket, added 1 cup water and set it on STEAM and LOW for 2 hours. Worked like a charm, and then kept it perfectly warm until slicing and serving. Easy and delicious/perfectly cooked and tender, juicy
This is great! Thank you for sharing!
If you start with a fresh piece of brisket instead of the corned beef, do you need to add salt to the dry rub? Otherwise there is no salt?
Hey Brian. This recipe post was actually getting revised in between you leaving this comment for various reasons (SEO best practices, editing of content for best reading etc.) and has been updated. I think all questions will be answered, if not, let me know!
So I followed your directives using your rub. The only difference is that I brined a 5 pound brisket using Prague #1 for six days. Smoked/Steamed per your instructions and it turned out fabulous? My husband & children think I’ve approached cult-like status with the smoker now!!
How did it turn out!