Recipe – Brined and roasted pastrami and homemade sauerkraut

Ingredients:

Brisket and Brine

• 1 beef brisket (about 5 lbs)
• 12 cups water
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Morton’s Kosher Salt
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¾ teaspoon pink salt (a curing salt)
• 1½ tablespoons whole peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons whole juniper berries
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke

Dry Rub

• 2 tablespoons medium ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Method:

1. Trim brisket of external fat.
2. Bring water and all spices to a boil and then remove from heat. Let water and spices come to room temperature, and then chill in fridge until 40 degrees or lower.
3. Place beef brisket, brine and liquid smoke in a non-reactive container. Make sure brisket is submerged in brine by weighing down with aplate. Place in back corner of fridge and let sit for 20 days.
4. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees (275 if non-convection). Remove brisket from brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry. Place brisket on a wire rack set on a sheet pan. Evenly spread dry rub over the top of brisket, sprinkle with liquid smoke and canola oil, and rub into brisket.
5. Roast in oven for 3½ hours. Remove (try not to eat it all now), chill and slice thinly.

Enjoy three weeks worth of anticipation.

Sauerkraut

• 5 lbs cabbage sliced to 1/8 inch thickness
• 3 tablespoons Morton’s Kosher Salt

Method:

Knead cabbage and salt together for a bit until cabbage starts to release water. Put in a clean, non-reactive crock or glass container. Weigh cabbage with a plate or a baggie filled with water. Cover crock with cheesecloth. As long as the temperature is between 50 degrees and 75 degrees, and the cabbage is covered with the brining liquid, your kraut will be done somewhere between six days and 30 days. I like my kraut around day eight from my kitchen. Refrigerate and enjoy. (After making your own you may never eat jarred sauerkraut again.)

Recipe courtesy of John Lastoskie of Graze.