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The Sandwich 100 · make it at home

Pastrami on rye, deli style

3 days brining, 6 hr smoking or oven, 3 hr steaming (about 1 hr hands-on) · A 2 kg brisket, about 8 big sandwiches

Deli pastrami is three slow steps: cure, smoke, steam. The steam at the end is what makes it fall apart under the knife. Do it for a crowd; it keeps a week.

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The real one

You need

• 2 kg (4 1/2 lb) beef brisket point (the fatty end), fat left on
• For the brine: 3 liters (3 quarts) water, 200 g (2/3 cup) kosher salt, 100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, 25 g (4 tsp) pink curing salt No. 1, 2 tbsp pickling spice, 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• For the rub: 4 tbsp black peppercorns, 3 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp brown sugar
• To serve: seeded rye bread, brown deli mustard, half-sour pickles

How to make it

1. Brine (3 days): Bring 1 liter of the water to a boil with the salt, sugar, curing salt, pickling spice and garlic, stir until dissolved, then add the rest of the water cold. When it is fully cold, sink the brisket in it in a container that fits it snugly, weigh it down with a plate, and refrigerate 3 days (4 for a thick piece), turning it once a day.
2. Soak and rub (2 hr): Rinse the brisket and soak it in fresh cold water 2 hours, changing the water once, so it isn't too salty. Toast the peppercorns and coriander in a dry pan 2 minutes until fragrant, then crack them coarsely with the mustard seeds in a mortar or under a pan. Mix with the paprika, garlic powder and sugar, pat the meat dry and press the rub on every side.
3. Smoke or roast (5 to 6 hr): Smoke at 110 C (225 F) over hardwood until the meat reaches 74 C (165 F) inside and the crust is dark, 5 to 6 hours. No smoker: roast on a rack over a tray of water at 110 C (225 F) for the same time.
4. Steam (2 to 3 hr): Set the meat on a rack over simmering water in a covered pot or roasting pan sealed with foil and steam until a skewer slides in like butter, about 90 to 95 C (195 to 203 F) inside, 2 to 3 hours. This is the step that makes it tender.
5. Slice and build (10 min): Rest 10 minutes, then slice against the grain a little thicker than a pencil. Pile about 200 g (7 oz) warm on rye spread with mustard. Keep the rest whole, wrapped, and re-steam slices 10 minutes to serve later.

Tips

• Pink curing salt is what keeps the meat pink and safe through the long cook; don't swap in regular salt.
• Ask the butcher for the point or a whole brisket; the lean flat dries out.
• A shortcut: buy a corned beef brisket, soak it 4 hours, and start at the rub.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.