quick and easy homemade pastrami.

With lots of Autumnal and Thanksgiving inspiration making me drool over on Instagram, I thought it was about time I shared this homemade pastrami recipe with you. Of course, usually a labour of love, pastrami recipes often take hours, even days to create. The brine, curing process and smoking can be a lengthy process with delicious results. On this occasion I thought I'd try out a simple, speedy recipe. It will still take an afternoon, but means you can be indulging in that homemade pastrami sandwich with all the trimmings on the very same day. What do you think?

Shopping list. 
♥ 1.5kg beef brisket, trimmed of fat

♥ 40g sea salt

♥ 20g brown sugar

♥ Two dried bay leaves

♥ 2 tbsp black peppercorns 

♥ 2 tbsp pink peppercorns

♥ 1 tbsp coriander seeds

♥ 1 tbsp dried tarragon 

♥ 1 tsp juniper berries

♥ One garlic clove, crushed

♥ Your favourite bread, mustard and gherkins to serve

Step one. Begin by making the brine by boiling a large pan of water with all the ingredients, except 1 tsp of the black peppercorns and 1 tsp of pink peppercorns. Boil for 10 minutes until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Allow to cool completely.

Top tip: I added ice packs to the brine to cool it right down even more quickly.

Step two. When cool, add the beef brisket to the brine and allow to soak for at least four hours, turning now and again.

Step three. Remove the meat and allow to dry, patting down with kitchen roll. Press the remaining peppercorns into the meat to create a crust. If there are any within the brine, you can add those too.

Preheat your oven to 140 degrees C.

Step four. Cook in the middle of the oven for 1h 30 - 2 hours until cooked to your liking. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before finely slicing.

Layer up strips of your homemade pastrami with lashings of mustard and baby gherkins on thick, white bread.

How would you serve yours?

Have you ever made pastrami at home? Do you know any similar speedy recipes?