If you love mile-high pastrami sandwiches, then this homemade Smoked Pastrami will rock your world! We’ll show you our shortcuts to making the best and easiest smoked and steamed pastrami in your backyard, just like iconic New York delis!

You pay big bucks for your favorite pastrami sandwich at a great local deli because pastrami takes FOREVER to make, but we’ve got some clever, tried-and-true shortcuts to help you make this easily at home in a fraction of the time.

And, with this pastrami recipe, you don’t need to inject the meat, brine it, or cook it forever and ever. It’s a simple, straightforward recipe and technique that’ll save you time and money because making pastrami yourself is SO much cheaper!

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PASTRAMI FROM CORNED BEEF

• Soak the corned beef in a large pot of cold water to draw out the excess salt from the highly seasoned brine for two days before smoking the pastrami. Keep this pot of soaking beef in the fridge.
• The next morning, remove the beef from the water and pat it dry with paper towels.
• Make the pastrami seasoning by combining the dry rub ingredients in a bowl.
• Rub the beef with a thick layer of spices, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.

SMOKE THE PASTRAMI

• Prep the smoker for 225F for indirect heat by building a 2-zone fire. Add water to the water pan and wood chunks or chips to the lit charcoal.
• Rest the corned beef at room temperature for about 30 minutes before smoking.
• Place the meat with the fat cap up on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 190F.
• Remove the beef from the smoker, wrap it in foil, and cool completely.

HOW TO STEAM PASTRAMI

Steaming pastrami is easy! Grab some foil, and here’s what you do:

• Slice off as much meat as you’ll need – slice it thinly and against the grain.
• Place the meat in the center of a large sheet of aluminum foil. Fold the edges up around it, but don’t pinch it shut.
• Place the pastrami on a steamer or metal wire rack above simmering water. Don’t let the meat touch the water. Steam until tender and heated through.
• Steaming whole pastrami? Place it in a large foil sheet and cover it tightly with foil. Steam it for 2 hours, adding water as needed, until the meat reaches 200F with an instant-read thermometer.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SMOKED AND STEAMED PASTRAMI

If you’re not just shoveling thinly sliced pastrami in your mouth with a fork (like we do), you should serve this shaved pastrami on a fresh hoagie roll, pumpernickel, or marbled rye bread with a slice of melty Swiss cheese and coleslaw. Check out my deli classic corned beef sandwich for specifics!

Serve your hearty pastrami sandwich with a side of smoked cabbage, smoked potato salad, crispy beef tallow French fries, or even just potato chips, and dig in!