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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Veggie Burger – Meatless made amazing. Puts those doughy bricks at the shops to shame!
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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.
LIFE OF DOZER
Nobody wants Dozer on their team for a game of Jenga…
Oh yeah! tomorrow I’m off to the store to get me a silverside and to make this for Rueben sangers for the week. Easy lunches while we’re travelling around Oz. Thanks a million Nagi. X X
I hope you love it!
You are the greatest chef ever! Every recipe I’ve made of yours turns out super! I can’t wait to try this. Stupido me, I didn’t even realize pastrami is corned beef.
Oh I hope you give it a go Jeanne!! I promise you it’s well worth the effort!
Oh gee just baked the crust the meat is moist salty and soft the pepper kick made my eyes water but can’t wait for my lunchbox sandwich thanks Nagi for another awesome recipe
Yum!!! I hope you love it Kym!
Great pastrami hack.
I also spread about a tablespoon or more of liquid smoke before packing on the seasoning. Gives that little kick of smoke in the finished product.
Thanks for your recipe!
Yes PattiAnn! I have this as an optional ingredient in the recipe ☺️
This recipe is a keeper! The pastrami came out nice and tender. Made sandwiches with rye & pumpernickel bread, topped with cole slaw and Russian dressing. Oh so yummy good!
Hi Nagi, I’m cooking this at the moment in my stove top pressure cooker. Should I have the pressure at high or low? I have it on high at the moment, but I have had to renew the water every 20 mins as it boils away. I’ve always thought that you should never let the cooker boil dry.
Hi Bernadette, I have an electric pressure cooker that cooks at medium pressure. I imagine if you are opening it to add more water you’re letting out all the pressure and it’s taking longer to cook. Try at a low temp and just add a cup of water into the bottom of the pressure cooker – N x
Hi Nagi,
I’m VERY sure last time I made this you mentioned to put the beef into water over night to draw out some of the salt, which I did. But I can’t see that anywhere now…
Have I got that wrong?!
Hi Jax, yes that was the original recipe but I have since updated it and left the salt out in the coating, the slow cooking draws enough of the salt out I find – much easier this way! – N x
Ok, awesome, cheers for that! And yeah, cuts out a process, too easy 😋😊
OH MY LORD! This is the second recipe of yours I have made and this turned out amazing! I’m so glad you have offered such an easy recipe. This was super cheap to do, super easy, super delish! Next maybe a homemade Russian dressing by Nagi? 🙂
It’s on the cards!!
Great, easy recipe! Made fantastic sandwiches.
I’m so glad you think so Jack!
Another keeper recipe! Unexpected happenings caused the corned beef to languish in the fridge for a couple of days, after its 10 hours in the slow cooker. Today, I did the oven baking, and sliced the meat for sandwiches. The original four pounds had shrunk, a lot! Happily, a lot of fat had rendered off in the process. The flavor was spot-on, for pastrami. I’d have to cut back on pepper, so that the littles’ heads don’t explode … or, I could throw in a chicken breast for their sandwiches! So very good. Thanks!
This was easy and delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Anytime, Malia! Glad you enjoyed the pastrami 🙂 –Nx
Third time making this (in the oven) terrific! Don’t see how to add a pic ’cause I would.
I’m so glad you love it Jim!
Wow, this was great. I was concerned about the amount of pepper used but you are right Nagi, when sliced thinly the pepper ‘burst’ is just right (for those who enjoy pepper). Next time I’ll scale the recipe down to the 3-8 servings as there was so much meat when sliced thinly, we ate it for days even though I gave some away 🙂 Thanks Nagi x
Hi Suzie – I’ve frozen this as well which is a great idea for leftovers. I’m so glad you loved it – N x
Hi Nagi, am I able to use girello for this recipe?
Hi Sharon, I haven’t tried to be honest, can you buy corned girello?
Question: do u use the spice packet that comes with corned beef? Thank you.
Hi Lori, our corned beef here doesn’t come with any spice packets – leave it out. I hope you love it!!
Made this by oven method exactly as suggested. Turned out so well with a great flavor. Really smelled great while cooking, which is usually not the case with corned beef! Next March when the cryovacs of corned beef are on sale for St. Patrick’s Day I will put several in the freezer especially for this recipe.
Awesome Mary!
Absolute delicious! I was a little confused about using an Instant Pot, I thought your directions said that water was not needed because of the liquid that cooks off the corned beef. I did add 1 1/2 c of water to my IP Ultra. The results are amazing! Thanks for such a great recipe.
Hi Farrel
Did you use high or low pressure, and did you do natural release vs quick release!
Thanks, Cathy
I’m so glad it worked for you Farrel!
This looks amazing!! Does it need to be wrapped if in foil if cooking in an electric pressure cooker?
Yes I wrap it in foil to keep in all those juices
I plan on making this for dinner next week, but we live out of a hotel (husband travels for work). Only thing available is a gas grill. I do have a slow cooker. But for the baking part , can I just place it back in foil and place it on the grill? I was thinking about trying that. Rhank ya!
This pastrami recipe looks phenomenal! Definitely going to try it. I’ll post a picture of the results 😃 Thanks for your amazing recipes