“THE CLEATS” CHRISTMAS PASTRAMI

“The Cleats” Christmas Pastrami

Ingredients:  1- 12 to 15 Lb Boneless Brisket

Ingredients for curing the brisket:

2 T whole peppercorns

1 and 1/2 T dry thyme

3 T crumbled bay leaves

2 tsp whole cloves

1/4 cup of minced garlic

6 cups of water

3/4 cup of brown sugar

¾ Cup Kosher salt

 

Bring water Kosher Salt and Brown Sugar to rolling boil- Mix in everything except the brisket- Boil for 5 minutes- Cover and let steep for 1 hour- uncover and cool.

The next step is trimming the fat. The purpose of trimming the fat is so the brine solution can penetrate into the meat. Fat may act as a barrier to the curing process so trim the fat to about 1/8 of an inch. Now you need to separate the brisket into its component pieces; the point and the flat (not as complicated as it sounds, Check Youtube videos).

After some more trimming you are ready to start the brining process. Place point and flat in 2 gallon zip loc bags. Divide cooled off brine solution into equal amounts and pour over briskets. Seal and place in another bag then into a cooler then into a refrigerator.

Turn these over every 2 days for equal brining. These can be cooked after 14 days but can be brined for up to 21 days.

In 21 days I rinse off the brine solution and pat the brisket dry. The pastrami dry rub is made up of the following ingredients and is enough for a this size brisket.

Ingredients for the pastrami dry rub:

5 T ground coriander seeds (put them in a food processor)

3 T fresh ground pepper

10 cloves of garlic, minced

1 T yellow mustard seeds

4 T kosher salt (adjust to your liking)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup paprika

2 T ground ginger


I like to mince the garlic and spread that on one side then apply the rub no over that ( the garlic seems to stay on better), then flip and repeat. There are lots of nooks and crannies you need to get your rub into.

Then the fun part, smoking this baby, I set up the Big Green Egg  for indirect cooking at 250 degrees and cook to a internal temperature of  180 degrees. I add mesquite for smoke and flavor, I use the digiq to help regulate temps and it has done a fantastic job. It is a pleasure being able to take a nap during an 8 or 10 or cook. Times may vary depending on the thickness of your brisket and your smoker.  At 180 dgs you can wrap it in tin foil and let sit for an hour or so.  Use the sharpest knife you have and slice it thin cause they will come running from the hills. Excellent on rye bread with mustard and pickles.