Cheat’s pastrami
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + cooling + 5 days curing
- A little effort
- Serves 12
Ingredients
- about 2.5kg beef brisket
PEPPER CRUST
- crushed to make 4 tbsp black peppercorns
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp English mustard powder
- 3 tbsp ground coriander
BRINE
- 30g (optional) curing salt or prague powder
- 400g table salt
- 100g soft light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 5 juniper berries
- 100ml honey
Method
- STEP 1
Put all the brine ingredients into a large pan with 4 litres of water. Bring to the boil then leave to cool completely.
- STEP 2
Trim some of the excess fat from the brisket.
- STEP 3
Cut the trimmed brisket in half lengthways (this will make it easier to brine and cook).
- STEP 4
Put each brisket piece into a large, sealable food bag.
- STEP 5
Divide the cooled brine between the two bags, squeeze out the air and seal them, then put the bags seal-side up in a baking dish, and put in the fridge. Turn the meat over in the sandwich bags every day for 5 days.
- STEP 6
On the fifth day, remove the beef from the brine, pat dry with kitchen paper, and allow to come up to room temperature.
- STEP 7
Mix the crust ingredients together, then rub them evenly into the meat, covering every crease or fold. Rub any excess into the fat side.
- STEP 8
Heat the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Sit the beef, fatty-side up, on a rack in a roasting tin filled with 3cm boiling water.Cover tightly with foil and cook for 4 hours. Cook for a few more minutes without the foil if the crust looks a little too wet.
- STEP 9
Leave to rest for 10 minutes then slice really thinly.This will keep for 4 days, covered, in the fridge, or cover and freeze half for later. Serve with rye bread, piccalilli and pickles.
