Homemade Pastrami Recipe (Step-by-Step: Brine, Rub, Smoke)

This homemade pastrami recipe shows you exactly how to make pastrami: brine, season with pastrami rub, and smoke until tender. Start with brisket for classic deli flavor or use chuck roast for an easier, budget-friendly version.

What is Pastrami?

When people refer to pastrami, they usually mean meat that’s been cured and smoked with bold spices that form an extremely flavorful crust.

The most popular cuts are beef brisket and beef navel, but I’ve been making beef chuck roast pastrami for years.

Pastrami doesn’t have to be beef. I’ve made pork shoulder pastrami and pork belly pastrami, and I’ve tasted duck pastrami. The possibilities are endless. What meat will you use?

For more tips, check out my Ultimate Pastrami Guide.

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• Meat: Start with 5-7 pounds of any cut of meat. Beef brisket is an obvious starting point, but you can get adventurous here.
• Corned Beef Brine: This brine contains water, kosher salt, dark brown sugar, Pickling Spices and pink curing salt #1, also known as prague powder.
• Pastrami Rub: Use a pastrami rub with traditional pastrami spices like mustard seeds, coriander seeds and black pepper. Make sure it has zero salt. There is no need to add salt since the brine already adds plenty to the meat.

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Step 1: Trim Your Meat

Start by trimming your meat like you would for any standard cook. If you’re using a beef brisket, trim the brisket to remove inedible fat. The same goes for pork shoulder. If you’re making pork loin pastrami or pastrami ribs, remove any excess silver skin.

PRO TIP: Remember, once you trim a brisket, it will weigh substantially less. To make corned beef brisket pastrami, start with a 10-11-pound whole packer brisket. Once it's trimmed, it will weigh about 6 pounds. 

You can also buy a pre-trimmed brisket flat or brisket point. The point will have much more flavor but is harder to find.

Step 2: Brine

Once your meat is trimmed, place it in a brining bag. I use large oven bags or my Meat Prep Bags because they’re big enough for a brisket. Place the meat inside and set it in a large tub.

PRO TIP: If you buy a package of beef that says corned beef on it, skip the brine step, because that means it has already gone through the brining process. 

Then, pour the corned beef brine into the bag. Add enough so you cover all of the meat. Press out as much air as you can by twisting the top of the bag. Tie the bag in a knot and place the meat in the refrigerator to brine.

How much brine do I need?

Plan on 1 gallon of brine per 8-12 pounds of meat.

Step 3: Rinse + Pat Dry

After the appropriate amount of days, remove the meat from the brine. You may want to rinse it in the sink under cold water to remove the pickling spices and excess salt. Then, pat it dry with paper towels.

Step 4: Season

Then, evenly apply pastrami dry rub to all sides. Plan on using 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons of rub per pound of meat. I generally use a little less on delicate meats like poultry and seafood.

Step 5: Dry Brine

Place the seasoned meat on a wire rack on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 1 more day. This is the curing process and allows those spices to really enhance the meat flavor.

Step 6: Smoke

The final step for turning cured meat into homemade pastrami is to smoke it. The good news is that you can follow any basic smoking method for the type of meat you have. Just cook it to the appropriate internal temperature.

PRO TIP: I recommend setting the temperature of the smoker to 225-275F degrees and using a digital instant-read meat thermometer to measure the meat temperature. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.

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What to do after smoking

Once your meat is cooked through, allow it to rest. Then, slice it or shred it according to the cut.

To make a great sandwich, slice the meat deli thin and layer on toasted bread with a slice of Swiss cheese and Reuben sauce or thousand island dressing.

Because pastrami has been cured and cooked, the USDA says it can be stored for up to 40 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Personally, if I’m not going to eat it within a week, I freeze it. You can keep pastrami in the freezer for several months.

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Troubleshooting Tips

• Too Salty: Reduce the brine time and rinse before seasoning.
• Didn’t Turn Pink: Beef will turn more pink than pork or poultry. For deeper color, brine longer.
• Rub Didn’t Stick: Pat the meat dry before applying rub. Air dry for one day before smoking
• Dry/Tough: Finish cooking your meat to the proper internal temperature.

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Choose Your Pastrami Recipe

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Food Safety

Pink curing salt (sodium nitrite) is for brining use only, not for direct consumption. Keep it out of reach of children and measure accurately. Refrigerate your meat while curing and discard used brine.

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