Comfort Food, Great Leftovers, Keeps Well
To turn corned beef into pastrami, simply coat the cured meat with cracked black pepper and coriander and smoke it. I like corned beef and pastrami with some fat, so I prefer to use the whole brisket, which contains the fatty “point” and the leaner “flat,” or first cut. If you prefer leaner corned beef and pastrami, use only the flat cut; if you prefer fattier versions, use only the point cut. Using Insta Cure No. 1 is optional for corned beef but not for pastrami, which needs the cure for safe smoking. If you leave it out of the corned beef, the meat will be gray,
not pink, but the flavor will not be affected.
2 whole briskets make 6–9 pounds; 2 flat-cut or 3 point-cut briskets make 4½-6 pounds
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 whole briskets (8–12 pounds), or 2 flat-cut briskets (6–8 pounds), or 3 point-cut briskets (6–8 pounds), fat
trimmed to ¼ inch - Basic Wet Brine, substituting two 12-ounce bottles lager beer for 3 cups of the water and made with Insta
Cure No. 1 if making pastrami (optional for corned beef) - ½ cup pickling spices, homemade or store-bought
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
- ½ cup cracked black peppercorns for pastrami
- ½ cup cracked coriander seeds for pastrami
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Submerge the briskets in the brine in a large plastic storage tub. Add the pickling spices and garlic (if using), and weight the meat with a plate. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days, then remove the beef and rinse. Stir the brine, return the beef to the brine, and refrigerate for 2 days more. Remove the brisket from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. (At this point, the brisket can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- If making pastrami, mix together the peppercorns and coriander seeds and spread in a shallow baking pan. Press the meat into the peppercorn mixture on all sides. Cold smoke.
- Steam the corned beef or pastrami in a closed pot until tender, 3 to 4 hours. Or see for recipes using corned beef. (Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.)
