How to Make Pastrami Without a Smoker

Pile homemade pastrami onto sandwiches.

Pastrami is full-flavored meat that is cut into thin slices and made into sandwiches. The sliced meat is piled onto rye bread, along with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, to create Reuben sandwiches. Although pastrami is typically smoked, you can make the sandwich meat at home even if you don't have a smoker. Season a beef brisket with a variety of herbs and spices and bake it in an oven for a mouth-watering flavor. Does this Spark an idea?

Print this article

3 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoon ground coriander
5 crumbled bay leaves
1/3 cup crushed juniper berries
3/4 cup salt
3 tablespoon olive oil
Small bowl
Spoon
5-pound beef brisket
Paper towel
Aluminum foil
Roasting pan
Instant-read food thermometer

Instructions

- 1
  
  Combine 3 tablespoons of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons of ground coriander, 5 crumbled bay leaves, 1/3 cup of crushed juniper berries, 3/4 cup of salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl using a spoon.
- 2
  
  Rinse a 5-pound beef brisket with cool water and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place the brisket on a piece of aluminum foil.
- 3
  
  Rub the spice mix into the beef brisket to create an even coating. Wrap the foil around the brisket to make a tight seal. Wrap another piece of foil around the brisket and seal it tightly. Preheat an oven to 250 degrees.
- 4
  
  Place the foil-wrapped brisket into a roasting pan. Set the pan into the oven and roast the brisket for five hours, or until its internal temperature reads 160 degrees when checked with a food thermometer.
- 5
  
  Leave the brisket wrapped and allow it to cool to room temperature. Chill the wrapped meat in a refrigerator overnight and slice it into thin pastrami slices before serving.