How I turn Corned Beef Brisket into Smoked Pastrami

How to smoked your own Pastrami on the grill

For this recipe I’m taking a Corned Beef brisket flat and turning it into fresh Pastrami. I picked up a 4.5lb flat from my local grocery store this week to start the process.

First you want to get most of the salt out of the corned beef for Pastrami. Place the flat in a large plastic container and cover it with cool water. It’ll need to hang out in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, and the water needs to be changed every 4 hours to remove the salt.

Once we’ve removed most of the salt, the flat is ready for a good Pastrami rub:

- ½ cup Restaurant Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Sugar in the Raw
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Coriander
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

Combine these ingredients in a bowl and place in a dredge shaker.
Pastrami needs a good bit of rub, so don’t hold back when applying it. You want a heavy coat on all sides of the flat. Let it hang out at room temperature while the smoker comes up to temperature.

When the grill stabilizes at 275⁰, place the flat on the cooking grate and close the lid for 3 hours. At this point it will have absorbed plenty of smoke flavor and the bark should be just right. The internal will be somewhere around 160-165⁰.

Now it’s time to tenderize the Pastrami, and we do this by creating steam. You’ll need a ½ size aluminum pan and a cooling rack. Sit the rack in the bottom of the pan and pour in 2 cups of beef broth. The liquid should cover the bottom but not come over the rack. Place the pastrami flat on the rack and insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and continue cooking. The target internal temp is 202⁰ and it’ll take about 2 more hours to get there.

When the alarm goes off remove the Pastrami from the pan and place it directly on the cooking grate. It’ll be really hot, so you’ll want to wear some nitrile gloves with cotton liners. The steam softens the bark, so it needs about 15 minutes back on the grate to dry out.

Now the Pastrami is fully cooked but it needs to rest a little while before slicing. Just let it hang out on the cutting board for 20-30 minutes. You can cover it loosely with foil but don’t wrap it tight.
Slice the Pastrami across the grain with a sharp roast carving knife and cut it into whatever size slices you prefer.

[keithmelton]

This dude is one of my top 2 go to guys when i want ideas, or learn how to smoke a certain meat! Every time I look up something I want to do, and I see a HowToBBQRight video in the list, that's the one I click on.

[latigomorgan]

Hey Malcolm! This is the first recipe of many of yours I made. All I owned at that time was a second hand Sunbeam square charcoal barbecuer. I did it with charcoal, offset to one side. I didn't even own a meat thermometer back then! But it came out back then, and I'm coming back around to doing it again. This time, I have an offset smoker, and a UDS to choose from. Since my wife has developed a taste for pastrami, and loves Reubens, I figured it was time to make our own and put some up in the freezer.

Anyway, it's been quite a few years, and I'm still watching and smoking! Thanks for all you do.

[spencerrogers]

Malcolm, love the bump in production value you've added to your videos. They've always been great, but the voice over, the new mic and the music really tightened everything up! Great looking pastrami

[fangarbangar]

Thank you Mr. Reed. I made this today and it blew my mind. Your videos make all of us novices look like we know what we are doing.👍👍👍

[allenrobison]

I was planning to do pastrami this weekend. I just wanted see Malcolm's spin on it. He's the BBQ boss. Nicely done Malcolm.

[annahdawson]

Did this a month ago for a gathering and it evaporated! Fan-freaking-tastic! The rub is awesome! I'm making 2 more briskets this weekend, though with a much longer pre-soak. The briskets have been in the freezer for several years and are taking a nice, long, 48 hr bath before smoking in a MasterBuilt Cabinet with apple and pecan wood. Can. Not. Wait!

[brendahall]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I truly appreciate your videos. For years friends and family ranked on me for not being able to cook... (and while I still don't profess to be 'a cook' per say) you've helped me shut 'em up'. My spouse found a large Big Green Egg at a yard sale. It needed a lot of work to get it back to functional, which was my job. Thanks to YouTube for teaching me how to repair it and thanks to you for teaching me how to use it. First, the ribs were the bomb (even though I used another rub). Second, the brisket really got their attention. Third, the pastrami had them looking at yard sales. Now, the beer can chicken and I'm 'the boss.' Can't wait to see what you're cookin' up next. Keep up the good work.

[trdaniel]

I skipped the desalination step. Followed the rest of directions exactly. Smoked on my pellet smoker. Came out perfect. Everyone raved about it. Thanks for the instruction.

[Robert-cigu]

So I made this yesterday - followed recipe to the T and had a 4 1/2 pounder too! Flavor was great but meat was tough. Popped it in oven at 225 for about an extra 2-2 1/2 hours with more stock sitting on a rack and covered with foil. When that bad boy came out it was fantastic, melt-in-your-mouth meat! Love what you do Malcolm, appreciate the ideas!

[PaulPlaceway]

Thanks! I snagged the last corned beef brisket piece that my butcher had on Monday; made this on my Traeger on Tuesday. Took about 5 hours total; that steaming step really helps counter drying out a smaller piece of meat. So good!

[andrewshort]

I come back to this one all the time. This is def the favorite from all of my guests!

[Vektorer]

Hey, I tried your beef broth "sauna" on my last pastrami smoke. Costco USDA prime brisket in my homemade brine for 28 days then into the kamado with oak, hickory, & pecan. The end-product was right up at the top. For 8 years I've been smoking pastrami. Your sauna bath is a super idea. Thanks for passing on that bit of wisdom!

[doylefuson]

Love the videos man. I've made at least 20 racks of ribs using your recipe and they are a huge hit with the family. Keep them coming!!!!

[BennyBestt]

That sandwich at the end of this video is a real sandwich. Thankyou for teaching me how to make pastrami. Love your channel. Cheers, from Australia

[Airstream]

Awesome !! Now THAT'S a Fred Flintstone sandwich ! YUM !

[davidtubular]

Just wanted to thank you for generously posting this tutorial. I pretty much followed it to the T, and it couldn’t have come out any better. Cheers.

[thedr]

There's enough pastrami for weeks Malcolm, then i saw the size of those sandwiches....

Fantastic video, i've never been a pastrami fan but i'm giving this a go.

[bobbykincaid]

Malcolm, I love your videos. Every time I watch one of your videos I start to get hungry and wish I could produce the food you do. I've always loved bbq and you are the king of bbq. Keep up the good work and never stop barbecuing.

[dougjones]

Malcolm, I have been following you for over a year now. Every recipe I have tried (25+) has turned out awesome. You are by far the best instructor on the internet. I have bought several of your rubs and they are great. Keep up the good work my man. Cheers from Austin, TX. Looking forward to seeing some new recipes in 2020.

[ericphipps]

I typically smoke some kind of meat during the weekend, and this is exactly what I’m doing this weekend. Great video for a knucklehead such as myself.