New York Kosher Brisket Pastrami
Kosher briskets brought home from New York, brined for a little over two weeks in Meat Church's pastrami brine, rubbed with pepper and coriander and smoked until probe tender.
Normally kosher brisket is way too expensive here, like $400 or more for a single packer. My family keeps kosher and hadn't been able to try any of my BBQ. So while visiting friends in New York I brought a cooler and found a couple of kosher briskets for about $11/lb.
The brine
Same Meat Church pastrami brine I always use, in a food-safe storage bin, for a little over two weeks. Kosher briskets are often packed in a salt water solution, so this one came out a fair bit saltier than my other pastrami. Next time I'll soak it to pull some salt out before it goes on the smoker.
The result
It wasn't as fatty as the prime packers I usually get, and the flat had a really tight grain. I'm still not unhappy with it, and my family finally got to try it. To keep it kosher, I scrub the grates down well and don't cook anything else alongside it.
Watch the cook
Beef
New York Kosher Brisket Pastrami
Kosher briskets brought home from New York, brined for a little over two weeks in Meat Church's pastrami brine, rubbed with pepper and coriander and smoked until probe tender.
Print- Prep
- 30 minutes, plus about 2 weeks brining
- Cook
- 12–16 hours
- Total
- About 2 weeks
- Yield
- 12–16 servings
- Method
- Wet cure, smoked
- Wood
- Your choice
Instructions
- Make the brine, bring it to a simmer to dissolve the sugar, and cool it completely.
- Submerge the brisket in a food-safe bin and refrigerate for about 2 weeks, flipping it every few days.
- Rinse it well. Because kosher brisket is already salty, soak it in fresh water for a few hours and fry a test piece to check the salt.
- Pat dry, coat with mustard and apply a heavy layer of pastrami rub.
- Smoke overnight at 225°F until the bark is set and it's about 170°F inside.
- Wrap in butcher paper, raise the smoker to 250°F and cook until probe tender.
- Rest for a few hours, then slice thin.
Pitmaster Notes
- Always follow the dosage on your curing salt package.
- For a kosher cook, scrub the grates well and don't cook anything non-kosher alongside it.
Product links are things I actually used. Some are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Times and temps are my starting points. Every cooker and every cut runs a little different, so cook to temperature and feel, not the clock.
