Written by: TFVstaff • November 27, 2019• Eat + Drink Recipe of the Month

“Pastramology” – The Science of Making a Mouth-Watering Pastrami

There are times when only a good homemade pastrami will do the trick and satiate my holiday cravings. And luckily for me, the time is now!

Unfortunately, as with many of you, I don’t own a professional smoker chamber or have the time and patience to babysit a brisket over 12 hours like the pros do.

So I decided to share a beginner-proof recipe that work wonders with a little help of modern equipment.

Sous Vide Pastrami

4-5# piece of Raw corned beef
75 g Brown sugar
75 g Salt
72 g Black pepper
55 g Coriander seed, whole
10 g Garlic, powder
10 g Juniper berries, whole
7.5 g Chili flake

As I mentioned before, this is my favorite beginner-proof recipe for making pastrami using a store-bought “pickled” brisket I found in Milam’s. But if you are feeling adventurous and want to try making your own, please be my guest.
First, we need to get rid of the pickling/brining juice and rinse our brisket through and through. Please do not skip this step since by doing so, your pastrami will end up being extremely salty and inedible. Pat dry it and let it “breathe” a little while you do your spice rub. If necessary, trim some of the excess fat leaving only about ¼ inch cap.
Set your Sous Vide circulator to 137 degrees.
For the spices, I like to toast them lightly before grinding them so we immediately get all those mouthwatering aromas out. You can definitely skip this step but I would strongly suggest you don’t and spend those extra few minutes toasting your spices. Believe me, you will thank me later. A blender, like a Nutribullet, will do a very nice job. If you don’t have a blender, you could use a food processor, but I would recommend investing in a blender sooner rather than later. You can compare blenders at Kitchen Habit if you need help choosing one.
Press the spices into the meat and cover completely. Vacuum pack your brisket and cook it sous vide for about 24-26 hours making sure your water level never goes below minimum.
Once your brisket is cooked, remove it from the plastic bag and pat dry it lightly. If necessary, sprinkle some more spice mix on top.
Place the meat in your smoker or on the cooler side of the grill as far from the heat source as possible. Allow the meat to smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F, about 1 hour. Note that the pastrami is already perfectly cooked from the sous vide step. The goal here is to add that signature smoky flavor and aroma that will make your mouth water every time you slice a piece.

Happy Holidays!

Healthy Gourmet is located at 8765 SW 132nd St, Miami, FL 33176. Call 305-450-1591 or visit healthygourmetmiami.com for more information.

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