This is an easy homemade Pastrami for all the poor sods like myself who don’t live around the corner from a New York Jewish deli. Tender, juicy and with the signature pastrami spice crust, this is astonishingly straight forward to make – and is outrageously good!
Use it to make giant pastrami sandwiches on rye, or Reuben sandwiches!
Homemade Pastrami recipe
If Katz’s Deli isn’t my first stop when I land in New York, it’s my second or third stop – and probably only because I had a prior dinner commitment.
Yes, I’m that obsessed with pastrami sandwiches.
Let’s be clear about one thing here – this is not a pastrami sandwich as many people know them here in Australia. The pastrami piled high in these sandwiches are light years away from the cold, slippery cuts we get over the counter at delis.
The pastrami you get at Jewish delis in the States is tender, juicy, fall apart and loaded with that wonderful earthy spice flavours of the pastrami crust with the obligatory black pepper kick.
It’s outrageously good. OUTRAGEOUSLY!!
I have searched high and low, but the sad fact is that there is simply nowhere in Sydney that has pastrami that is anywhere near Katz’s. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own pastrami.
Real pastrami is smoked for days. Days, my friends. I’ve read that the Katz’s smoker is the size of an apartment. Pastrami is serious business!
Mine is a somewhat more achievable home version – made in the slow cooker or pressure cooker.
How do I make pastrami? (The easy way!)
Start with store bought corned beef*
Make our own homemade pastrami spice mix which is made with everyday spices and loads of cracked pepper
Coat beef in Spice mix, wrap in foil
Slow cook or pressure cook until tender.
Cool for ease of slicing before baking briefly just to seal the crust, then slice thinly, and pile high on rye bread.
* Corned Beef is beef that’s been brined, either brisket or silverside beef cuts. An economical cut sold in the fresh meat section of supermarkets. It’s called Salt Beef or Pickled Salt Beef in the UK.
Here are the spices you need for pastrami. You can buy coarsely ground cracked pepper but it’s better to grind your own if you can.
Is it as good as Katz’s?
No. And no homemade version ever will be.
But it is so darn good. So SO good. A billion times better than the stuff you buy over the counter at everyday delis. This pastrami that money can’t buy – certainly here in Australia at least, except at speciality stalls at some weekend markets.
So when you need a pastrami or Reuben sandwich fix, this will go a long way to curb your craving – until your next trip back to NYC! – Nagi x
PS If you’d like to try your hand at a real pastrami made in a smoker, I recommend this one from my friend Kevin at Kevin is Cooking.
How to make a Pastrami sandwich
Lightly toasted dark rye bread slathered with butter then mustard then piled high with lots of thinly sliced homemade pastrami. Melted cheese is optional (mandatory in my books!).
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WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Homemade Pastrami Without a Smoker
Ingredients
- 4 lbs / 2kg good corned beef, with a thick fat cap (Note 1)
Spice Mix:
- 4 tbsp fresh coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp liquid smoke (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Spice Mix and spread out on a tray. Pat beef dry then roll in Spice Mix, coating well all over. Sprinkle with liquid smoke it using (I rarely use this).
- Place beef fat cap side down and wrap in a large sheet of foil. Repeat again with another sheet of foil and flip the beef so the fat cap is on the top.
- Place rack in slow cooker (Note 2), place beef on rack. Slow cook for 10 hours on low or electric pressure cook for 1 hour 40 minutes (see notes for oven).
- Remove beef, cool then refrigerate for 6 hours +. Reserve juices in slow cooker.
- Unwrap beef. Place rack on tray, place beef on rack. Bake 30 minutes at 180C/350F until spice crust is set.
- Remove from oven, slice thinly – pastrami will be tender. Place some pastrami in a dish, spoon over a bit of reserved juices. Cover and microwave to warm (I like to add a slice of Swiss cheese).
- New York Deli style Pastrami Sandwich: Pile high on toasted rye bread slathered with plenty of mustard of choice. Serve with pickles on the side! Plus plain potato crisps (for the full deli experience!)
- Rebuen sandwiches – see this recipe.
Recipe Notes:
Electric Pressure Cooker –you don’t need to add liquid because corned beef is plump with extra liquid it has absorbed from the brining process so it drops liquid as it heats up, and it’s that liquid that creates the steam that creates the pressure cooking environment. If for some reason it doesn’t come to temperature (ie that whistling noise never occurs, pop in 1/2 cup of water – but I’ve never had to do this). You end up with the same amount of liquid at the bottom of the pot whether you slow cook or pressure cook.
Stove top pressure cooker: add 1/2 cup of water.
Oven – I haven’t tried this myself, but this is what I would do: wrap with foil one extra time, add 1/2 cup water in pan, put wrapped beef on rack in pan, cover pan tightly with foil. Recipe I reference (see below) says 110C/225F for 6 hours which sounds about right compared for the slow cooking time I use. 4. General notes: The slow cooking part tenderising the meat and allows the spice flavours to infuse. The cooling in the fridge makes it easier to slice thinly – if you try to slice hot corned beef, it crumbles. The baking seals the crust – it doesn’t heat through, you want the centre cold for easier slicing. 5. SERVINGS: The corned beef will shrink by about 30%, so 2kg/4lb yields about 1.4kg/2.8lb cooked meat. Allow 300 g / 10 oz per serving for large pastrami sandwiches, as pictured. 6. Recipe loosely guided by this Allrecipes.com pastrami recipe. 7. Store leftovers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat slices per recipe. Originally published May 2014, recipe updated June 2018 with a more streamlined, better recipe.
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I was wondering if my corn beef is only 2 pounds ,smaller than the one you did ,would it take less time to cook in my slow cooker on low.
Thank you Nagi for your great recipe .
HI Jen, it will still need about 6-7 hours in the slow cooker. I hope you love it! N x
As usual Nagi, your recipe is a huge success. My other half wont eat silverside but he loves this recipe and we have it often.
My son-in-law asks for this a couple times each year. Tonight we served it for his birthday dinner. Because there is an abundance of corned beef briskets in the markets after St Patrick’s Day, this is the ideal time to snag a beefy point cut…ideal for this recipe. I grew up in my dad’s deli. I owned my own deli. So I feel confident in saying that if you’re not pickling your own beef from scratch, this is as good as homemade pastrami can be. Avoid cheating. Chill overnight, then heat and eat the next day for optimum slicing bliss. As with any sandwich, the better the bread, the better the experience. We have a local bakery that makes a sublime crusty caraway rye that does the job.
Exicited to try this. I am using a slow cooker for the first time with this. Do I use the low setting or the high setting for this recipe?
I LOVE good pastrami and this is an excellent recipe.
I made this with 2lbs of corned beef and while the flavor was fantastic I thought mine a bit dry. I kept it in crock pot for 10 hrs and now I’m wondering if I should have taken it out sooner since it’s a smaller roast??
Nagi, Going in for 2nd slow cooker pastrami. In fact, going to make two. In process of moving and my smoker has been in storage 1 1/2years…..great recipe
Wahoo!!! That’s awesome Bob, enjoy! N x
You are a genius. I am a native UWS girl and moved 3 years ago and miss my pastrami! I used the oven method and it was spot on!
My husband said this was the best pastrami sandwich (made your “reuben recipe”) he has ever had. And he is old and has eaten a lot of sandwiches over the years. Love this recipes and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Great website too!
I’ve made this a number of times now, and it’s just awesome. The brine is salty ,so I don’t use it, but the meat is perfectly tender, tasty and makes the best sandwiches. A treasured recipe in my home. Thanks
Hi. Finally got the beef to try this. Won’t the beef be to salty ? Butcher said boil it. Should I soak overnight to remove the salt ? Thanks
Hi Rhea, the beef is supposed to be brined, if that’s the right silverside that yo’ve got then don’t boil it – just follow the recipe. You’ll love it! N x
Hi. thanks..its in the slow cooker right now…i have tried many of your recipes….
Love this recipe. Every three months I get a direct from the farm meat delivery and we get a nice silverside. We also say we will do something different with it, then always do this pastrami – it is just too good not to. Until this recipe I didn’t like pastrami
Done the pastrami recipe-fantastic. How long in slow cooker for a 1kg piece of corned silverside?
Hi Mike, I’d say 5-6 hours for this size 🙂 N x
Should the slow cooker setting be on high or low?
Will try the 6 hrs and let you know the results, once again many thanks for the recipe
Hi Nagi
Tried a 1.2 kg piece of silverside with half the spices for 5 & 1/2 hours in slow cooker. All came out great. Once again many thanks
Made the kit & kaboodle!! I lived in NYC (1998-2000) and ate at Katz’s more than I should have!! That is the GOLD standard pastrami!!
Crock pot Pastrami was great!! I had about 1 cup juices in crock pot – didn’t dump right away so lost 1/2 while the cooker cooled & it evaporated. Cooling took over 2 hours!! Put in fridge for 5 hrs (was behind timewise due to long cool time right after crock pot), popped in oven for 25 mins at 325° (convection oven), and got a nice crust … it did heat it thru tho, so I had to slice it thicker. Delicious! What a wonderful treat!!
Made the kraut and Russian Dressing – hubby had a super marble rye. We had a DELICIOUS dinner!!!
My pastrami was pretty warm after 30 minutes at 180c. It crumbled heaps when I sliced it. Is it bad to put it back in the fridge and then reheat again?
Do you leave the foil on for pressure cook
Sure do Margaret – you can see this in the video 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
Loving your recipes.
Could this be finished in an air fryer?
Hi there, I had mine in the slow cooker yesterday for 10 hours, wrapped in foil, and I had zero slow cooker juicers. Is this a problem?
Yes , same here I have no juice in the slow cooker
Same here. I’m thinking maybe I’ve wrapped the foil too well, lol….I’m assuming the juices are meant to be able to drain out into the slow cooker instead of remaining in the foil.
Next time I’ll stab a couple holes in the bottom of the foil 😆
Hi Nagi, I made this over the weekend. So good! What is a the best way to store it in a the fridge? I have wrapped it in a tea towel so here’s hoping …
Hi Dayle, I usually just store mine in an airtight container. Or you can also store in portions in the freezer 🙂 N x
Made this a couple of days ago and it was fantastic. Two small issues / questions: 1. there was no liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker; and 2. the bark never really turned dark. Neither issue affected the the flavor and the meat was moist and sliced like warm butter.
Hi Mike, was there liquid in the foil when you unwrapped it? Also, if the crumb didn’t get any colour, you could just keep it in the oven slightly longer and turn up the heat. 🙂 N x
yes there was but nowhere the amount in you video. I contiplated leaving it in longer. Next time I will.Flavor was excellent,
Hi Nagi
I am only using 1kg corned beef, so how long should I slow cook it for ?
Thanks. Pam
Hi Pam, 6 hours in a slow cooker 🙂 I hope you love it! N x