It’s that time of year! Corned beef will soon be on sale everywhere, don’t miss out!

Let’s talk Pastrami:

Traditionally made with beef navel (belly) or the point end of a brisket, it is cured, seasoned and then smoked. Once smoked it cools, and gets steamed to reheat, this gives the pastrami its trademark texture.

Pastrami and Corned Beef are close relatives.

Corned beef is also traditionally made from brisket, that has been cured. Most times this is done in a pickling brine that contains curing salts. The corned beef is then boiled with more spices (the spice pack they put in with it) and served when tender.

So it has become common place for people to make cheaterstrami…

Taking commercially available corned beef, soaking it in water for 24 hours with several water changes. This leaches the curing salts out of corned beef (remember, it’s traditionally boiled, so the salt content is super high) and leaves you with a chunk of cured beef.

All that’s left for you to do is season with with a low salt pastrami rub (heavy on coriander) and smoke.

If you are adventurous, you can cure your own beef for pastrami at home, in about 7-10 days.

Pastrami does not have to be brisket or navel; cure up some beef, season and smoke it.

Here is a photo of Pastramied Short ribs I did a couple of years ago.

For this St. Patrick’s day I took a 7lb corned brisket point and converted it to 4lbs of delicious pastrami

Now go make you some!