When Harry met Sally pastrami. Katz deli NYC

Anyone growing up in the tri state area knows what we call pastrami and what is offered in grocery store delis is not the same thing at all.
Those lean slices of dry red meat is not pastrami.
Pastrami made from a cheap fatty piece of beef called the brisket is luscious and decadent.
Known as Jewish barbeque the recipe probably originated when refrigeration was unknown.

I love real pastrami. Fat and all.
The recipe I follow is here. amazingribs.com...
It takes a week and I started with corned beef brisket so I eliminate step one.
Soak to desalination, rub, let it rest, smoke, let it rest, steam and I guarantee a "Yes !, Yes !, Yes !, " table banging moment in your future too.

If you have access to a smoker please try this. It's worth the time.

Never even attempted to cook it, or preform brain surgery. Something's I have to leave to the professionals. Also living in NYC it's easy to get! Need spicy brown mustard, loads of it!

I started with a five lb brisket.
I soaked it for about four hours .
The rub I use is black pepper(course ground) coriander, paprika, mustard powder garlic powder and a touch of brown sugar.
I then put it in a covered dish and left it alone for two days. I have one of those masterbuilt upright smokers a gift for my hubby from our oldest son. On day three I put it in the smoker at 225 for six hours.
Then it went back in the fridge for another two days. On day six I set up a steaming table with a large pan a small grill rack and a big metal bowl as a cover. I steamed it for three hours add water as needed I got a kitchen full of smoke when I let it boil away. Oops). No biggy the meat was not in the pan it was above it.
Rye bread, hearty mustard and a fat dill pickle (clausens of course or vlasic . If you live in the south east Mount Olive pickles are amazing . If you're lucky enough to live where they're available. ) potatoes salad on the side(of course)...
Yum.

a reply to: WUNK22

Oh yeah I miss that. But not the twenty bucks for a sandwich.
I moved to Virginia in 91 and they only ever had that dried out shoe leather.
I found this recipe online a few months ago. This was my second one.
Nope no left overs. ( that I want to part with anyway)
This was well worth the time.
It's not complicated well not too complicated. It just takes time. Most of it you just let it be.

The best Reuben sandwich

1/4 lbs pastrami
2 slices hearty rye bread
2 slices of real Swiss cheese
2Tbls. Sauer Kraut that has been rinsed and drained.
Thousand Island dressing
Butter for the pan and bread

Butter the bread
heap the meat cheese sauer kraut and dressing on the unbuttered side of the bread.

Heat pan to medium low
Place sandwich butter side down in pan and press to flatten. Easy does it. Keep the contents in there.
Let it heat slowly melting the cheese . Start with heated kraut and meat to facilitate this. Flip to toast both sides.
The cheese is the glue that holds it together. When bread is crispy brown and cheese is melted its ready.

I don't need to say enjoy...
That's a given...

a reply to: WUNK22

I have spicy brown, course stone ground, yellow, dijon, honey and horseradish mustard in my fridge. You have a choice.
I also have five different vinegars in the cupboard. Sorry it's an obsession.

a reply to: Sillyolme

That sounds like it would be fun to try however it also sound waaaaay above my skill set in the kitchen.

I love Rubens and having lived from North to South on the east coast I feel that I have had some good and more bad.

It is definitely the quality of the pastrami that makes all the difference IMO.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

It's not hard really. But you need a smoker and time.


You can also boil a corned beef with that little packet of seeds for three hours add a head of cabbage and some quartered potatoes and simmer another half hour and you got a great meal.
You can use the meat to make Reubens.