Master the art of making tender, flavorful homemade pastrami with this step-by-step guide. Cure and smoke a beef brisket to perfection, then create a delicious Reuben sandwich with sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing.
Ingredients extracted via AI
6350 g beef brisketblack peppercornscoriander seedsmustard seeds1 PL clovesred chili flakesallspice berriesground gingerground mace2 bay leavescinnamon sticksaltgranulated sugarpink curing saltgarlic powderyellow mustardbuttersauerkrautSwiss cheeseThousand Island mayonnaise
Procedure generated via AI
Trim the 14-pound brisket by removing nearly all the fat from the point side, leaving about a quarter-inch of fat on the flat side.
Toast the black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and mustard seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until fragrant—about a few minutes.
Use a mortar and pestle to roughly crush the toasted spices.
Combine whole cloves, red chili flakes, allspice berries, ground ginger, ground mace, crushed bay leaves, and broken cinnamon stick in a bowl and mix well.
In a large pot, mix 1 gallon of water with the spice blend, salt, granulated sugar, and pink curing salt. Stir thoroughly and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once the brine starts boiling, remove it from heat and allow it to cool completely.
Place a cooling rack at the bottom of a container, then add about 1 gallon of ice and another gallon of cold water to reach a total of 2 gallons.
Ensure the brine is fully chilled before submerging the brisket.
Place the brisket into the cooled brine, pressing it down with a weight to keep it fully submerged.
Cover the container with plastic wrap and refrigerate the brisket for 7 days to cure.