Emergency Pastrami
Ingredients
+/- 4 lbs. Corned beef brisket (flat cut pictured)
1/2 c. Olive oil (virgin, not EVOO)
2 cloves Garlic, smashed and peeled
1/4 c. Freshly-ground coarse black pepper
2 tbsp. Smoked sweet paprika
2 tsp. Ground coriander
1 tsp. Dry mustard
1/2 tsp. Ground white pepper
1 tbsp. Frank’s® Original Hot Sauce
Directions
• In a small, capped jar (or other container), combine the garlic with the oil.
• Cover, and shake vigorously until combined. Set aside to flavor the oil for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven at 225ºF (110ºC).
• In a small bowl, combine the spices and Frank’s® to form a rather thick paste. Set aside. You will need to reserve 1-2 tbsp. of this mixture for the end of the process.
• Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet, and brush with about half of the garlic oil.
• Place the brisket – fatty side up – on the foil.
• Brush the remaining garlic oil all over the roast.
• Rub the spice mix evenly all over the brisket.
• Wrap the brisket completely with another piece of foil. (The initial piece of foil is unlikely to fully wrap the brisket. The second piece may not either. That’s okay. Just be sure that the brisket is well and fully wrapped in foil.)
• Place the brisket on the baking sheet, place in oven and cook for 6 hours.
• Remove to a cooling rack, and allow to cool to room temperature, about 3 hours or so. (If you need to hurry the process along, place on the lowest shelf of the fridge for about 1-1/2 hours.)
• Keep the pastrami wrapped in foil, place in a zippered bag, seal and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat a broiler rack and pan.
• Unwrap the pastrami, and sprinkle the remaining (reserved) spice mixture over top.
• Slide under the broiler, not too close to the heat, and broil 3-5 minutes until a crust forms and is nicely browned.
• Place on a carving platter, tent with foil and refrigerate for a few hours, until well-cooled.
• Slice thinly, and enjoy!
• To serve warm: Heat a few slices at a time in a sautée pan with about a teaspoon of water, turning once or twice, until the fat becomes translucent. It will take about 2-3 minutes per side.
It has been posited that it’s nearly impossible to find decent Pastrami outside of New York City. I’m not absolutely certain of that.
What I am absolutely certain of is that when I want a Pastrami-on-Rye, I want it good, fast and fresh!
BUT… traditional preparations of Pastrami take an enormous amount of time. About a week or so. So, I searched the Interwebs high and low for alternatives, and I found one that was quite good, and I tweaked it a bit with some Davis-isms.
Now the time required is about one day. ONE DAY! (Operatic me is singing – at this very moment – “Un bel di vedremo…”) This really is a very good stand-in for traditional Pastrami, especially for sandwiches.
In Buffalo, we once had some fabulous Jewish delicatessens. Mastman’s, in particular, comes to mind. Those days (at least in the city, proper) are long since gone, but their culinary and cultural imprint on Buffalo cuisine is unmistakable.
This is a fitting tribute to those great eateries.
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