Our first Pastrami

You may not think pastrami when you have a small piece of beef brisket from a five year old Highland steer aged for 60 days but we have always wanted to try salting beef after our early attempts at bresaola, so we thought why not.  

A salt cure brine with brown sugar, bay leaves, juniper berries, black peppercorns and thyme was heated until the sugar dissolved and then allowed to cool.  The liquid was poured into a 5 litre tub with a lid and the brisket submerged for 2 days.  Once cured the brine was drained, the beef rinsed under a cold tap and then wrapped in cotton cloth and allowed to settle.

The beef was then rolled in a spice mix of crushed coriander, ground black pepper, cinnamon and garlic powder. A little smoked paprika was added to give a more authentic flavour in the absence of a cold smoker.  The spiced beef was then steamed in foil for about 2 hours, left to cool and then refrigerated before slicing.

All we need now is some rye bread, mustard and pickles.