This Tri-Tip Pastrami Trick Saves You 4 Days
Pastrami made with the traditional brisket is amazing…but due to the thickness, takes about 9 days. Using a thinner cut, tri tip, can we do it in just 5 days? Stay tuned and find out!
Things to know:
What cut of meat do you use for pastrami?
The best cuts traditionally for pastrami are traditionally beef navel or brisket (especially the fatty “deckle” or “point”), prized for juiciness, but beef plate and round are also used; the key is a well-marbled, flavorful cut that holds up to brining and smoking, though some deli classics use the navel for its richness. Here we use Tri tip, with is a smaller curt of meat, allowing us to complete the brining process 4 days sooner than if we were to use a whole brisket.
How is pastrami made from scratch?
Making pastrami from scratch involves a multi-stage process: first, brining a beef brisket (or in this case a try tip roast) in a salty, spiced liquid for several days to cure it, then rinsing and drying, applying a coarse spice rub (peppercorns, coriander, etc.), and finally, smoking it at a low temperature and then steaming or slow-cooking it until fork-tender before slicing thinly against the grain.
What spices are essential for pastrami?
A good pastrami is seasoned with (at the least) ground black pepper, smoked paprika, ground coriander, dry mustard, ground white pepper, and cayenne pepper.
What does Katz put on their pastrami sandwich?
A classic Katz’s Deli Pastrami Sandwich features a generous, hand-carved stack of their famous, tender pastrami piled high between two slices of fresh rye bread, typically spread with spicy brown mustard, often with pickles served on the side, though some variations include Russian dressing or Swiss cheese as a Reuben.
Is tri-tip a good cut of meat?
Yes, tri-tip is an excellent cut of meat, known for its rich beefy flavor, relative tenderness, and lower fat content compared to cuts like ribeye, making it a popular, versatile, and often more affordable choice for grilling, roasting, or smoking, especially when cooked to medium-rare and sliced against the grain. It’s a triangular cut from the bottom sirloin, famous in California (Santa Maria-style BBQ) for its balance of lean meat and marbling.
Ingredients
For 15 pounds of tri tip (6 tri tip roasts)
Brine ingredients:
3.75 gallons of distilled water*
3.75 cups of Coarse Kosher Salt*
2.6 T Prague Powder #1*
8-10 T of pickling spices
4 T brown sugar
10 cloves of peeled and smashed garlic
*For these ingredients, figure out the weight of your trip tips, then using the calculator in the recipe on AmazingRibs.com
1. Mix the above ingredients together and stir until the salt is fully dissolved.
2. Place your tri tips into a non-reactive container and cover with the brine.
3. Place the container in a refrigerator, or in a cooler with plenty of ice.
4. Let the brisket sit for 4-5 days days. Each day, flip the tri tip and stir the brine to reincorporate any settled ingredients.
5. Remove the beef from the brine and rinse out the container.
6. Place the brisket back into the container and add enough distilled water to cover the beef. After an hour, our out the water and repeat the soak.
7. Make the rub (recipe below) and apply it to the tri tip.
8. Set your smoker to 250F and smoke the tri tip until you hit an internal temp of 160F (about 3-4 hours).
9. Place the pastrami in an aluminum pan, cover with foil and place in a cooler with a beach towel below and above the pan. Let rest for at least 1 hour, up to 6 hours.
10. Slice your beautiful pastrami against the grain in as thin of slices as you can get.
11. Serve and ENJOY! This will make an excellent Reuben Sandwich!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640S Smoker
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