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…
If I use an electric pressure cooker, do I keep it wrapped in foil?
I’m wondering if you ended up wrapping meat in foil for pressure cooker?
Any suggestions if I don’t have a rack that fits in my slow cooker>
Responding to my own question lol. I saw your tip. Somehow I missed it before. Foil crunched up. Got it. 😉
I’ve put mine atop an upturned cereal bowl in the slow cooker, since I ran out of foil.
thanks for that tip as well!
If my husband has his way we would eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
I usually dont like silverside but this is delicious
I’ve made this heaps of times, along with your minced pork and beans and slo roasted lamb.Does the meat have to be brined? Can I just rub a lamb shoulder and cook it . Love all recipes and Dozer, I think he needs a sibling .
Hello, my piece of corned beef is only 1kg – how much would I need to adjust cooking time by? Thanks 🙂
Hands down the best recipe I have ever made. I did not do step 5/6 as I like pastrami cold like deli meat. Absolutely awesome. Didn’t need liquid smoke. I even froze some (double tightly wrapped in cling wrap, then defrost the day before.) Still amazing. Sliced pastrami is $27 per kg at Woollies, cost me $12 per kg to make with your recipe. Super Flavourful! Superb, thank you! Your recipes are always winners!
Fabulous recipes! The corned beef, usually gets soaked for a few days to get rid of the heavy brine. You didn’t mention that, do you do it?
Hi Margaret – no I don’t find that I need to soak it! N x
I’m in Canada and here the beef is both pickled and salted. I’m excited to try your pastrami recipe ( your recipes are absolutely excellent and very reasonable when it comes to ingredients), however everyone here soaks their meat and changes the water for about four days. I wonder if we get different processing.
Can’t wait to try this… I only have a crockpot. How long do I cook it for and what temperature? Thank you!
1) Liquid smoke is not optional.
2) I brined my own brisket for 7 days. 3) see #1.
Hello Nagi!
Want to thank you for your amazing recipes, which I cook a lot of, so with Christmas nearly here and finally seeing family!, just done your pastrami!, holy moly, gorgeous.
Your recipes work out every time!
Love to list what intend to make, but list is too long, Thankyou, and have a great Christmas.
Absolutely stunning.
Could this be cooked via sous vide?
Made it in the oven. I served it with sauerkraut as well as red cabbage and scalloped potatoes. Served it hot straight out of the oven. What a hit! It was so delicious. So soft, tender and luscious . Everyone loved it and although everyone was hoping for left overs for the next day pastrami sandwich, it just didn’t eventuate. I’m now making it again for some guests. It was so fantastic! Thank you for such an amazing recipe. I shall not be tempted buying it when nothing compares to making it.
Absolutely lovely. My first ever pastrami. Surprisingly easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it, Dominique! N x
This was fantastic! We have a smoker, but I think your recipe turned out more tender! I’m absolutely making this again.
I am glad you enjoyed it, Melissa! N x
Great recipe. Enjoy your site. If you desire fantastic NY pastrami the Carnegie Deli I think can ship internationally. Honestly I think theirs is better than Katz.
Thanks for the recommendation! N x
I would like to make this in the instant pot. I don’t see where there are specific instructions for using one. Does it cook for a shorter time and is it still double-wrapped in foil? Thanks for anyone who can point me in the right direction. I’m probably just missing it though I have really tried to search. 🙂
She does give electric pressure cooker instructions in step 3 (and mentions it in notes). Electric pressure cooker is the same as an Instant Pot.
Hi Nagi, your website is the only place I have ever posted public comments.
This was amazing. My husband and I had Reuben sandwiches for three consecutive meals.
There is one portion left (regrettably, we shared some with relatives) and it is a real test of my love to save it for him because it keeps calling out to me.
Well, I didn’t have enough coriander and was lazy and used ground white pepper, so it didn’t taste exactly like pastrami, but it sure was tasty! I’ll do it again, and properly. My family is happily munching away big sandwiches with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing, and arguing about leftovers!
Hi Marbleless, the cracked pepper is a key flavour in this one, I hope you can try it again with the ingredients listed 🙂 N x
Hey Nagi,
i dont own a slow cooker or pressure cooker, can you replicate this in an oven?
Yes, you can!
5 hours uncovered @ 230 to 250 f
4 hours tightly wrapped in 3 layers of baking grade aluminium foil.
Let it rest till cool.
Refrigerate for 4 hours, then slice and store in the pan jus.
Kieran. Little confused. Cooked unwrapped for 5 hours and then cooked tightly wrapped for 4 hours. Is that correct? 9 hours in all.
I have a question. I made this in a slow cooker but want to try it in the pressure cooker. Im confused because you said it doesn’t need liquid. But then how does the pressure cooker work without liquid? It’s wrapped in foil in the pressure cooker?