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 MY I love pastrami!!! I am going to make some next weekend.
Try it try it!! 🙂
Hi, looks great!
I have never had Katz but if you want some smoky taste, u can burn a piece of charcoal until really hot then put a few drops of neutral oil on it.
the charcoal will generate quite a bit of smoke…
Of course you need to do that in some sort of enclosure where you put the pastrami with the charcoal … 😉
Woaaaah…… Alex! That’s genius! I wonder if I can stick it in the slow cooker????
Put the incandescent piece of charcoal in a heat proof plate, drizzle a couple of drops of neutral oil, close quickly and smoke for 3/5 mins. Boom, mind blown.youbjustssaved yourself hours smoking the meat 😁
Nagi,
You must be on the same food line that I’m on. I love love love pastrami and am I cooking this, this week. It looks fantastic and my mouth was watering when I watched the video – I will keep you informed. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS ON YOUR WEBSITE. Thank you
You’re so welcome Marlene! I didn’t think many people would get excited about this one, SO GLAD you love it! N x
Hi Nagi This pastrami looks SO YUM! Please tell me there is a way to make it in regular oven . Maybe in dutch oven with lid at low temperature?
Aw! poor sad faced Dozer.
from susie
Hi Susie! I haven’t tried that myself but in another recipe, it says 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) for 6 hours which sounds about right compared for the slow cooking time I use. 🙂 N x
Thanks Nagi, I’m going to try this on the weekend. Should I still use the crumpled alfoil in the bottom of the dutch oven?
Yay!!! Can’t wait to try this. I lovelovelove pastrami!!!
Most importantly, that’s such a beautiful pic of Dozer! Berry thweet.
Theresa
He knocked over the Jenga tower!! 😡
Hi Nagi,
Absolutely gonna put this on my list to try – hubby loves pastrami.
Dozer, baby, you can play on my team any day! We’ll have tons of fun.
You can have him! No one over here wants him on their team! 🤪
I hope Dozer, the Beautiful Golden, doesn’t eat chocolate, It is very bad for dogs and they can get very sick from it!
Definitely not! Dozer has no idea what chocolate tastes like 🙂 Dog carob, however, is a totally different matter!!!
Can’t agree about Katz’s. You should try Sarge’s next time and see how you like that as well…more of a local knowledge place and the pastrami is much better in my opinion if course. Thx for the recipe as well…great work!!
Really!!! You got me Ken, I’m adding it to our NYC Foodie Map 🙂 https://promotown.info/new-york-food-map/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
To clarify, have you used a piece of corned beef that comes prebrined like one you’d buy in a supermarket?
Tia. It looks incredible.
Yes! Sorry I didn’t explain it properly I’ve added notes to clarify. I just get it from the supermarkets!
Thank you, Nagi.
It looks absolutely wonderful and is on my to do list now.
Oh yummy! May not have visited a New York deli during my many stays there (yes, another unbelievable Vegemite story, Nagi 🙂 !) but absolutely love pastrami and, ingredient-wise, this is easy-peasy . . . . have to work out a slow and long stove-top method, but since I work from home, if I begin in the morning . . . etc 🙂 ! Since I still have to find an acceptable store-bought version, this trial is so anticipated . . . Hi, Dozer: I don’t even know how to play Jenga . . . .
Dozer wants you on his team…..
Dozer ! Mail me! Well show ‘them’ !!
Hi Nagi,
I am interested to know why there is no brining in this recipe. i searched for your original recipe but it wasn’t on your web page. What was the purpose of brining?
Also I noted in your comments that someone said her pastrami cooked 3 hours ahead of time. My slow-cooker tends to reduce time a little so how do I know when it is cooked?
Can’t wait to make this as my husband absolutely loves pastrami and particularly reuben sandwiches!
Regards,
Angela
Hi Angela! I start with corned beef which is already brined so I don’t need to brine it 🙂 I’m not sure which comment that is about so I will come back if I find it to respond! As for when it’s cooked, with the long cook time it will definitely cook in this time and you can just pry the edge with 2 forks to ensure it’s tender – but we don’t want it to be fall apart, we aren’t making pulled beef here 🙂 I hope you do get a chance to try this – and your hubby LOVES it! N x
O.M.G.
I never! should have watched the video – now I’m dying of “I Want!” 😀 On my list of things to do on holidays at the end of the month, so I’ll come back to rate it then.
Dozer is looking at those like…”Ma! What’d you do to my stick?!?!?!” 😀
DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!!
Wow!!!! That is amazing! It’s difficult to find a gorgeous cut of corned beef like that around here, but when I do find it, I will be trying that. Not counting parking the car and dumping luggage in a hotel room, the Deli always has been our first stop in NYC too, since it’s usually been the primary reason for our going there most of the time, anyway. We’re a lot closer to NYC than you are, with it being only a 3-3.5 hr drive from here, but we can’t get good NY-style deli anymore in our immediate area either, unfortunately.
I’m SO JEALOUS you’re so close to NYC!!!! 😩
I’m So Jealous that you’re so close to fabulous beaches plus a great city! The grass is always greener elsewhere, I guess.
I’m wondering, could I make a turkey pastrami by taking a whle turkey breast roast and treating like this?
I want to know too!!! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
When you say corned beef, is this the stuff we Brits get from a tin of Fray Bentos or a cut of beef? I’ve found Silverside and Brisket mentioned.
Hi Peter! Sorry for not explaining, I didn’t realise it was called something different in the UK! It’s called Pickled Salt Beef over there 🙂 I’ve just added it in the notes! N x
Hi Nagi, I’ve previously bought corned (pickled beef) in Coles Maroochydore to satisfy my son’s craving for a home made “corned dog” hash, during a family visit. I couldn’t recall its name but he had difficulty finding it there.
I’ll give your recipe a go on a half quantity of meat. Do you think halving the other ingredients will work with it?
I think you’ll find that silverside is the same. We antipodeans commonly call it corned beef.
Thanks Mar.
This may sound rather silly but what cut is corned beef? the only thing I ever see in the UK that is referred to as corned beef comes in cans.
Not silly at all! Sorry for not explaining, I didn’t realise it was called something different in the UK! It’s called Pickled Salt Beef over there 🙂 I’ve just added it in the notes! N x
This sounds like a great recipe, I’ll certainly try it. Is there a reason why you didn’t include a brine step.
Hi Scott! Poorly explained – I meant that I don’t brine myself, I start with pre brined beef ie corned beef 🙂 N x
I just want to make sure I understand the pressure cooking instructions. They are the same as the slow cook method? You still wrap the beef in foil, set on trivet/rack, no liquid? I’m new to Instant Pot cooking and was under the impression you should always use some liquid to build pressure. Thanks!
Here is what not to do. Do not substitue a brisket for corned beef. I know that may seem obvious. Also DONT substitue fine ground pepper for coarse. I am going to have to try the recipe again without substitions.
Hi May! They are absolutely the same steps if using an electric pressure cooker, I use the pressure cooker more often than the slow cooker method 🙂 You don’t need liquid because corned beef is plump with extra liquid it has absorbed from the brining process so the corned beef drops liquid as it heats up and it’s that liquid that creates the steam that creates the pressure cooking environment. You end up with the same amount of liquid at the bottom of the pot whether you slow cook or pressure cook. Thank you for the question, I will add a note to the recipe! PS If using a stove pressure cooker, please add 1/2 cup water. N x
I cook mycornedbeefin my pressure cooker for about 90 min. I put water in bottom and the packet that comes with it. It lwayscomes outgreat. I also slicemine ith m electricknif so it looks great. Do you still wrap the meat in tin foil before u cook it in pressure cooker?
Yep I absolutely do. It holds all the flavour in and helps keep the spice crust on 🙂
OMG!!! Pastrami is the absolute favorite and you have a recipe!?!!?! I was already wanting to try your Chinese bbq pork, and now this. I’m so grateful to have come across your recipes!! Thank you!
It’s SO CRAZY GOOD!!! Try it try it!! 🙂
So Nagi, how long exactly does it take you to grind 4 tablespoons of black pepper…? I love pastrami but haven’t had any in years. If I make this I’ll have to hope it keeps in the freezer for years, because I think I only put pastrami on pizza, and we don’t eat sandwiches except when my husband is cooking. It just occurred to me that one could wrap pastrami in a tortilla and have a nice lunch that way. Hmm… I really like knowing how to make pastrami.
I TOTALLY CHEAT! I use store bought coarse milled black pepper! 🙂 N x
Hi Susan,
It can take a bit of time with a mortar & pedestal, but for larger quantities of spice, I use a Mr. Coffee burr grinder. Model BVMC-BMH23. You can adjust the grind with a twist of the hopper, and even adjust the amount ground. I originally bought it for coffee, but I can’t make coffee as good as the Circle K on the corner. So, it’s used for spice now. Just one suggestion. 🙂