Will it pastrami?

I love experimenting with different meats to see how they react to the pastrami technique. Making pastrami involves curing the meat in a brine made with Prague powder (pink curing salt #1).

If you brine beef and then boil it, you get corned beef. But if you smoke it, you get pastrami.

Today’s experiment involved using a rack of beef plate ribs as the base.

Plate ribs are cut from the belly of the cow, which makes them perfect for pastrami. A lot of delis, including Katz’s Deli in New York, often use beef navel (or belly) for their pastrami.

The key to the recipe is using my pastrami brine followed by my pastrami rub. And you need to give yourself a week for the full process.

Ingredients

• Beef Plate Ribs: Look for the ribs that include three connected large bones. Sometimes they are called beef short ribs.
• Pastrami Brine: The brine is key to making pastrami. This recipe uses pink curing salt #1 with kosher salt, brown sugar, water, and pickling spice.
• Pastrami Rub: This is a blend of black pepper, whole coriander seeds, mustard seeds, coconut palm sugar, paprika, and garlic.

See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to smoke pastrami beef ribs

The brining process will take six days, so plan ahead.

1. STEP ONE: Remove the beef ribs from their packaging. If you see any silver skin or thick fat cap on top of the rack, remove that with a sharp knife.
2. STEP TWO: Boil the pastrami brine in a large pot and let it cool completely. Place the beef ribs in an oven bag with the meat side down. Pour in the brining liquid. Squeeze out all the air and tie it in a knot. Refrigerate for five days.

PRO TIP: Place the bag of ribs in a pan just in case it leaks

3. STEP THREE: After five days, remove the ribs from the brine. Rinse with cold water to remove the salt. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place on a baking sheet and season liberally with pastrami rub. Refrigerate uncovered for one more day.

4. STEP FOUR: Heat your smoker to 250F degrees with an indirect heat zone. Place the seasoned rack of ribs on the smoker and cook for 5-6 hours. Spritz every hour or so with apple cider vinegar. This adds to the flavor and creates great bark.

PRO TIP: Some people wrap their beef ribs. I don't find there is any need to. The beef is marbled enough to stay moist.

5. STEP FIVE: The ribs are ready when they reach an internal temperature of 200-205F degrees.

6. STEP SIX: Remove from the smoker. Wrap in peach paper and plastic wrap or a couple sheets of foil. Rest in a cooler without ice for at least one hour.

How to serve smoked pastrami ribs

Unwrap the ribs. Using a long serrated knife, cut the meat between each bone.

Then, run the blade of your knife along the top of the bone to remove the meat that rests on top.

Slice that large piece into 1/4 inch medallions. Enjoy on a slice of rye bread with mustard and pickled red onions. Or serve it on a bed of cheesy grits or rice.