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A Pastrami Rub Recipe That Rivals New York’s Famed Katz’s Deli

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pastrami rub raw

Why travel to New York city for a pastrami sandwich when you can enjoy one just as good from the comfort of your home?

In my world pastrami is among the most wonderful smoked meats and nobody does it better than Katz’s in Manhattan. Pastrami depends heavily on the spice blend applied to the cured corned beef so I have come pretty close to replicating the rub used at Katz’s, a distinctive combination of coriander, black pepper and other spices. It also works wonders on goose or duck breast, on pork belly, on beef short ribs to name a few options. Use this rub on corned beef, then smoke it, to make awesome pastrami as described here.

Katz's Deli Pastrami Rub Recipe


Crust on unsliced pastrami
Tried this recipe?Tell others what you thought of it and give it a star rating below.
4.38 from 460 votes
This rub is essential for making good pastrami, but you can also use it for other cuts of meat. The recipe makes enough for about 5 pounds of beef brisket.
Serve with: An egg cream.

Course:
Main Course
,
Rub
,
Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine:
American
difficulty scale

Makes:

About 1/2 cup
Servings: 96 1/4-teaspoon on a single slice

Takes:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoons fresh coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon whole yellow (white) mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
Notes:
About the servings. The serving size may seem weird because the program is calculating how much rub is on a slice.
Options. The paprika mostly adds color. If you want to veer from the conventional and amp it up a bit, substitute ancho powder or American chili powder, but be careful, the black pepper and mustard supply an ample kick. You can leave anything out that you want except the black pepper and the coriander.
Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

  • Prep. Begin by crushing the seeds. If you wish, you can use only powdered coriander, ground black pepper, and ground mustard, but I like using some whole seeds. If you are using some whole seeds, pour them into a zipper bag and smash them with the bottom of a sauce pan so they are "cracked" but not completely powdered.
  • Mix. Blend together all the spices.
  • Use. Once prepared, either store the rub in a jar or other airtight container or use it to prepare Katz's Delicatessen quality pastrami as seen in this video.

Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 2kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

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Published On: 3/24/2019 Last Modified: 3/22/2024

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  • Meathead, BBQ Hall of Famer - Founder and publisher of AmazingRibs.com, Meathead is known as the site's Hedonism Evangelist and BBQ Whisperer. He is also the author of the New York Times Best Seller "Meathead, The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling", named one of the "100 Best Cookbooks of All Time" by Southern Living.

 

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