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Slices of homemade pastrami on butcher paper.
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5 from 31 votes

Homemade Pastrami

Homemade pastrami made with beef or venison, cured, seasoned, and smoked until tender and full of rich flavor. Slice thin and serve for sandwiches, platters, or snacking.
Course Main Dish, Preserving Food
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Brine Time 5 days
Total Time 5 days 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 pounds
Calories 41kcal
Author Kathy Berget

Equipment

Ingredients

Meat

  • 4-5 pounds beef or venison roast We use several smaller 1-pound roasts

Brine

  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pickling spice
  • 2 tablespoons pink cure salt also called Prague #1 powder

Rub

  • 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seed
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brine

  • Combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, pickling spice and pink cure salt in a large container. Stir until dissolved.
    1 gallon water, 1 cup kosher salt, ¾ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons pickling spice, 2 tablespoons pink cure salt
  • Place roasts in a separate container and pour brine over the top so all meat is well covered.
    4-5 pounds beef or venison roast
  • Cover and refrigerate for 5-7 days, turning roasts at least once on day 3 or day 4.
  • Remove meat from brine and discard brine. Rinse meat removing all spices.
  • Soak meat in fresh cold water for 2-3 minutes
  • Place meat on a baking rack and let the water drain off. Pat meat dry with paper towels.

Rub

  • Place peppercorns, coriander seeds and mustard seeds in a spice blender or food processor. Blend just until spices are broken up.
    2 tablespoons black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon mustard seed
  • Mix in garlic powder and smoked paprika
    1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • Rub mixed spices all over meat

Smoke

  • Place meat on racks in smoker. Set smoker temperature to 160°F.
  • Place one pan of wood chips in smoker. We used alder wood chips.
  • When wood chips stop smoking (approximately 1 hour) add a 2nd pan of wood chips
  • Continue cooking in smoker until meat reaches 145°F. This may take 4-6 hours.
  • Remove meat from smoker and place on a baking rack over a cookie sheet

Steaming

  • Preheat oven to 275°F.
  • Pour hot tap water into cookie sheet, filling pan about half full. This will become your steam tray.
  • Wrap meat and pan with foil so that no steam will escape during cooking
  • Carefully move pan to oven
  • Bake in preheated 275°F oven for 1 hour
  • Remove from oven and allow to sit covered for 10-15 minutes. Carefully remove foil.
  • Slice when meat is cooled

Notes

  • There are a lot of steps to this recipe. Be certain to read through the entire recipe prior to starting.
  • We often prepare 4-6 small venison or elk roasts all at the same time. The amount of brine does not change.
  • Plan ahead for the size of brining container you'll need and the amount of fridge space needed.
  • It may take a bit of time for the salt and sugar to fully dissolve in the brine. Once you stir it well, let rest for 5 minutes and then stir again.
  • Brine for at least 5 days, but no longer than 7 days. This gives you a bit of flexibility on which day to smoke and steam.
  • The actual smoking time will vary depending on your smoker and the size of your roasts.
  • Use only 2 pans of smoke for the pastrami. We've experimented with 3 pans, but the smoke flavor was a bit too strong.
  • When slicing meat, slice across the grain

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice/ounce | Calories: 41kcal