Smoked Pastrami Beef Shank

Pastrami beef shank shredded on black platter with taco condiments.

5 from 1 vote

Let me show you how to take an impressive cut like Thor's Hammer, AKA beef shank, and turn it into smoked pastrami. Talk about an epic meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time12

Resting Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Christie Vanover

Ingredients

4 lb Frenched beef shank
12 cups corned beef brine
1/4 cup pastrami rub
1/4 cup beef tallow

Instructions

Trim: Use a sharp knife to remove the silver skin around the circumference of the beef shank.
Brine: Place the beef shank in a large bowl. Make sure the bowl is taller than the top part of the meat. Pour the corned beef brine into bowl. Place in the refrigerator and brine for 4-5 days.
Season: Remove the shank from the brine and rinse under cold water. Tie a couple pieces of butcher's twine around the shank, so it holds its shape. Season all over with pastrami rub.
Heat Grill: Heat your smoker to 275-300F degrees with an indirect heat zone.
Smoke: Place the shank on the grill over the indirect heat. Smoke for about 4 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches around 170F degrees.
Wrap: Remove the beef shank from the grill. Place it on two sheets of butcher paper. Add beef tallow to add moisture. Wrap tightly and return to the smoker. Continue smoking until the internal temperature of the beef shank reaches at least 200F degrees.
Rest: Remove the shank from the smoker and let it rest for 30-60 minutes.
Serve: Unwrap the shank. The meat should shred apart with your hands or two forks.

Notes

To prevent spillage during the brining process, either cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the shank in an oven bag. Place the bag in the bowl and add the brine to the bag. Then, tie the bag closed.

Once the shank reaches around 200F degrees, your digital meat thermometer should glide into the meat smoothly.

The nutrition values for this recipe is not exact because the brining liquid is discarded after the meat soaks. Therefore, the sodium levels will be lower.

Nutrition