The most important things to know about pastrami
You can either get the tastiest cold cuts from your traditional trusted butcher – or you can simply use your own grill. In this article, Dutch butcher and grill enthusiast Gertjan Kiers explains the most important things about pastrami – and how easy it is to prepare this delicacy yourself. – By Gertjan Kiers
Pastrami originally comes from Romania, where it was traditionally made from mutton. Immigrants brought the recipe to the USA, where it gained great popularity, especially in the Jewish neighborhoods of New York. Local delis developed a new version here, where pastrami is prepared with smoked and seasoned beef.
The Meat
Nowadays, pastrami is usually made from beef brisket, which is also my preference. This cut of beef is very well suited for this, is relatively inexpensive, and has a thick layer of fat. I recommend beef brisket with good marbling from grain-fed animals. The fat provides more flavor and protects the meat during the long cooking process.
Gertjan Kiers: As a passionate craftsman, Gertjan wants to promote appreciation for good meat as well as for farmers and butchers. In addition to his work at the fish and meat retailer G&B in Yerseke, he implements this mission through workshops, demonstrations, masterclasses, on FoodTube, and as a guest lecturer at renowned cooking schools such as the Cas Spijkers Academy. Gertjan is also the author of the "Vleesbijbel" (Meat Bible) and the cookbook "Van kop tot staart – Varken" (Nose to Tail – Pork), which he wrote together with Inge van der Helm.
What determines the taste?
Pastrami is essentially a type of cured meat. The difference lies only in the preparation and the spices. Whether cured meat or pastrami – the meat is traditionally first placed in a saltpeter brine or injected with brine. This ensures longer shelf life and a pink color. Pastrami is also rubbed with a spice mixture and smoked, using spices from the curing brine. Its taste is therefore significantly more intense. The spice mixture that forms the crust on the pastrami consists of black pepper, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, and paprika. This crust, in combination with the smoking process, gives the pastrami its characteristic taste.
Perfect for the grill
A grill suitable for indirect grilling with a lid is perfect for preparing pastrami, as you can easily give the meat a delicious smoky aroma. I personally skip the curing process if I am in a hurry. Because the smoking alone gives the meat a special depth, and the spice mixture provides additional flavor – which is why the pastrami is often eaten up so quickly that curing is not necessary for shelf life at all. You will notice that the meat loses a significant amount of weight during preparation. This is because the fat melts, and since beef brisket contains a relatively large amount of moisture, this is also lost during cooking. To prevent the pastrami from becoming too dry, it is important to wrap the beef brisket in butcher paper at an internal temperature of about 70 °C (158 °F). The meat enters a phase here where the temperature drops due to evaporation. Wrapping it prevents excessive moisture loss and everything stays nice and juicy.
Pastrami Sandwich
Beef brisket has coarse muscle fibers. Therefore, the cooled pastrami should always be sliced thinly against the grain. It tastes delicious on a snack platter or as a topping for a sandwich made of grilled brioche bread with mustard mayonnaise, sauerkraut, and pickle slices!
Ingredients (For approx. 1.4 kg of finished pastrami):
• 2.5 kg beef brisket
• 3 tbsp fine mustard
• 125 g butter
• 1 oak wood chunk for smoking
• Butcher paper
For the spice mixture:
• 1 tbsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 1 tsp ground mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp paprika powder
For serving (Per person):
• 2 slices of brioche bread
• some sauerkraut
• 1 pickle, sliced
• 1 tbsp mustard mayonnaise
Set the grill to 150 °C (300 °F). In the meantime, trim the beef brisket of thicker pieces of fat and membranes and brush all over with mustard. Prepare the spice mixture from the listed ingredients and rub the beef brisket with it on all sides.
Place the oak wood chunk on the coals and place a drip pan under the grill grate. Place the beef brisket on the grate and close the grill lid. Bring the temperature back to 150 °C (300 °F) and cook the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 70 °C (158 °F).
Lay a large piece of butcher paper on the work surface. Cut the butter into four equal slices. Place the beef brisket on the butcher paper, distribute the butter on top, wrap everything in the paper, and place it back on the grill. Close the grill lid and continue cooking the pastrami until you can pierce the meat with a meat thermometer and feel no resistance. The internal temperature will then be between 95 and 102 °C (203–215 °F).
Now remove the pastrami from the grill and let it cool down before slicing it. Toast the brioche bread slices on the grill, spread with mustard mayonnaise, and top with pastrami, sauerkraut, and pickle slices as desired.
