Do you want to make your own pastrami and are looking for the best pastrami rub to apply to the cured corned beef?
The taste of the pastrami depends on the mix of spice that is used for making it.
Our recommendation is to try the spice blend of the Katz’s Pastrami rub recipe provided by AmazingRibs.com.
It is perfect for cured corned beef and can also be used to rub duck breast, goose, beef short ribs, pork belly, and other foods.
Most traditional pastrami rubs are based on freshly ground black pepper as well as coriander.
With Katz’s pastrami rub recipe, some other spices and flavors are added to the basic ingredients, and the result is one of the best pastrami rubs we have tried.
In addition to other fragrant and tasty spices and ingredients, the recipe calls for brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, mustard powder, and mustard seeds.
Due to the entire seeds in the recipe, even if it appears a bit chunky, these seeds will serve to enhance the taste and improve the texture of the bark. Additionally, the recipe advises crushing and cracking the entire seeds with the bottom of a skillet to release the flavor and perfume.
With this amazing recipe, you can make a little more than half a cup of pastrami rub, which is sufficient for rubbing a whole beef brisket weighing 18 pounds and even more.
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Ingredients for the smoked pastrami rub:
- Whole black peppercorns – 2 tablespoons
- Freshly coarsely ground black pepper – 2 tablespoons
- Whole coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon
- Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
- Brown sugar – 1 tablespoon
- Paprika – 1 tablespoon
- Garlic powder – 2 teaspoons
- Onion powder – 2 teaspoons
- Whole mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon
- Mustard powder – ½ teaspoon
Instructions for making and applying the rub:
- You can use only powdered ingredients, but the whole seeds (peppercorns, coriander, and mustard) add texture and taste. If you are using whole seeds, you should place them in a zip lock bag and crack them with a heavy saucepan or rolling pin. Do not powder them completely. Just crack them.
- Add all of the ingredients into a bowl or other container and mix them well.
- Rinse the meat and start applying the rub while it is still damp
- Apply the rub generously – about 4 tablespoons per sq. foot
- Press the rub into the meat’s surface so that it sticks
- Apply less rub on any thinner parts of the meat
Tips for preparing the recipe:
- All of the ingredients, except for the ground black pepper and the coriander, are optional
- You can substitute all whole seeds in the recipe with the same amount of powdered ingredients
- Crack the whole seeds before mixing them in the rub
- If you want to add even more kick, you can add some chili powder or ancho powder, but beware because the mustard and the black pepper are quite spicy themselves