Turkey Pastrami
adapted from Dejay's Smoke Pit
Pastrami Wet Brine
1 gallon cold water
1 cup kosher salt
Quick Cure (by meat weight)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
6 bay leaves (crumbled)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp juniper berries (crushed)
1 tbsp white peppercorns
Crush peppercorns in spice grinder (dedicated coffee grinder), then add juniper berries, bay leaves and a few tablespoons of the kosher salt and continue grinding for fine grind. Put all dry ingredients in a pot with 1 quart of water and heat until just dissolved and let cool. Use a combination of filtered water and ice cubes for the remaining 3 quarts of water. Stir cooled spice concoction into the iced water; you should still have some ice pieces remaining after this process to indicate that it is cold enough to add the turkey.
Turkey Prep
Buy whole turkey breasts when you can get them on sale; these usually include some rib, back and neck sections. Trim off the ‘offending’ appendages and skin with kitchen shears and fillet knife leaving the breast whole and on the bone. You’ll lose about 30% of the weight depending on the “extras” included with the frozen bird; use those trimmings to make some homemade stock, which is great with soups.
Cure the Turkey
Now you’re ready for the wet brine to cure the turkey. This would be the prep for corned beef if you started with beef brisket. Pour prepared cold wet brine into a large zip bag and add the prepped turkey breast; it’s a good idea to use a large secondary container here just in case the bag leaks. Put the breast in with the meat side down and remove all of the air while closing the bag. Put bagged bird in the fridge for 5 days to cure; flip the bird in the bag and swish around daily for an even cure. When cure is complete rinse and soak in ice cold water for 3 hours. Remove turkey from rinse and lightly pat dry with paper towels (need to keep some moisture to help dry spices adhere).
Pastrami Dry Rub
1.0 oz. white peppercorns – coarse grind
0.6 oz. juniper berries – crushed
0.5 oz. coriander – ground
Mix all ingredients together and store in tightly closed container in fridge until ready for use. I use my spice grinder to first grind the peppercorns, then add the juniper berries and buzz; I used pre-ground coriander this time.
Coat prepared turkey breast with dry rub, wrap tightly in plastic or vacuum seal and refrigerate for 48 hours.
Smoke It
Set smoker at 215˚ and cook until internal temp of meat hits 165˚. Removed pastrami from smoker, double foil, cool and refrigerate for 24 hours to allow flavors to meld; slice and enjoy
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