Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the Worth-the-Wait Pork Belly Pastrami! This remarkable tender cut of meat is brined for a week before being coated with toasted peppercorn and coriander. Enjoy its complex flavors and unforgettable taste - you won't regret it!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- The brine gets built hot, then cooled with ice. Dissolving the salt, sugar, cure, and pickling spice in simmering water first, then pouring that concentrate over ice, gets everything fully dissolved without needing to wait for a large batch of brine to cool on its own.
- A full week in the brine is what makes this "worth the wait." Seven days lets the cure fully penetrate the thick pork belly, which is what gives it that tender, cured texture pastrami is known for.
- Two rounds of toasted spices build layered flavor. The pickling spice goes into the brine itself, while a separate toasted peppercorn-and-coriander crust gets applied right before smoking — two distinct flavor moments instead of one.
- A tube smoker adds extra smoke without extra fuss. Using an A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker on the pellet grill's main grate boosts the smoke flavor beyond what the pellets alone would provide, without needing a second cooking vessel.
Pork Belly Pastrami
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.6 stars by 14 users
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
15 minutes
Calories
792
Worth the wait is this Pork Belly Pastrami. After a week of prep in a brine, the recipe comes together with toasted peppercorn and coriander coating this remarkably tender piece of meat. This Pastrami is perfect for your St. Patrick's Day menu or any day of the week.
Ingredients
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3-4 lb slab skin off pork belly
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Kozlik’s Dijon Classique
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6 lb ice
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3 quarts water
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18 tbsp (4 2/3 oz) Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
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3/4 cup (3 3/4 oz) white sugar
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1 tbsp (1/2 oz) LEM Cure Pink Salt (sodium nitrite)
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7 cloves garlic, crushed
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3 tbsp pickling spice (recipe below)
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1 tbsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, toasted
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1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
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1 tbsp mustard seeds, toasted
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1 tbsp allspice berries, toasted
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1 tbsp red chile flakes
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1 tbsp whole cloves
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1 tsp ground ginger
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1 tsp ground mace
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1 small cinnamon stick, crushed
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2 bay leaves, broken in to pieces
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6 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
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6 tbsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Tellicherry Black Peppercorns, toasted
Brine
Pickling spice
Rub
Directions
Assemble the pickling spice. Toast the black peppercorns over medium heat in a dry hot skillet for about one minute. Add the coriander, mustard seeds and allspice berries. Toast another 30-60 second until they just become fragrant. Remove and crush all with a skillet or a meat mallet. Combine with the remaining ingredients and mix well.
To make the brine, combine the water, salt, sugar, cure, garlic and pickling spice in a stock pot. Bring to a simmer. Turn off heat. Whisk to make sure everything is dissolved. Place your ice in a briner bucket. Pour the hot brine concentrate over the ice and stir until dissolved.
Note: Depending on the size of your belly, and the container in which you are brining, you may need to multiply this recipe. You will need enough brine to cover the belly in the brining container.
With the brine now chilled, place your slab of pork belly in the bucket with the brine. Lock the plate in place to keep the pork submerged. Transfer to the refrigerator and brine for 7 days.
Preheat your Yoder smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 275ºF, set up for smoking. Fill an A-MAZE-N Tube Smokers with the pellets of your choice. Place on the main cooking grate. Light with a torch. Let burn for 30-60 second, then blow out the flame.
Remove the pork from the brine. Rinse under cool water. Slather with Kozlik’s Dijon.
Toast an equal amount off black peppercorns and coriander seeds in a dry hot skillet, just like you did for the pickling spice. Transfer to a tea towel. Wrap the towel around the spices and beat with a meat mallet to break into pieces. The rub should be coarse.
Cover the pork belly in the black peppercorn and coriander.
Place the pork belly on the second shelf of the smoker. Smoke unwrapped until the internal temperature reaches 185ºF-190ºF, about 4-5 hours.
Remove from the grill and rest 30 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why make the brine hot and then cool it with ice?
Dissolving the salt, sugar, cure, and spices in simmering water ensures everything fully incorporates. Pouring that concentrate over ice then brings the brine to a safe temperature quickly, without waiting hours for a full pot to cool.
Why does the pork belly need to brine for a full week?
A thick cut like pork belly needs time for the cure to penetrate all the way through. Seven days is what gives the final pastrami its tender texture and fully developed cured flavor.
Why use pickling spice in the brine and a separate rub before smoking?
The pickling spice flavors the meat from the inside during the week-long brine, while the peppercorn-and-coriander crust applied just before smoking builds a distinct, coarse exterior — two different flavor layers rather than one.
Why use an A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker in addition to the pellet grill?
The tube smoker adds extra smoke on top of what the pellet grill alone produces, giving the pastrami a more pronounced smoky character without needing a separate offset smoker.
What internal temperature should the pork belly reach?
185-190°F, which is well above the 145°F minimum for whole-muscle pork — this higher target is intentional, aimed at achieving a tender, sliceable texture rather than just food safety.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
2 out of 5 — the brine and rub can be prepared in any kitchen, but the multi-hour smoke with a tube smoker for extra flavor really requires an actual smoker setup.
Recipe Highlights
Hot-brine-then-ice method: Dissolving everything in simmering water before pouring over ice ensures full dissolution while quickly bringing the brine to a safe temperature.
The full week-long brine: Giving the cure seven days to penetrate the thick pork belly is what produces its tender, cured texture.
Two-stage spicing: Using pickling spice in the brine and a separate toasted rub before smoking builds distinct interior and exterior flavor layers.
Tube smoker for extra smoke: Adding this alongside the pellet grill's normal smoke output boosts flavor without needing a dedicated offset smoker.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 792
- Fat
- 46 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 19 grams
- Cholesterol
- 196 milligrams
- Sodium
- 3005 milligrams
- Carbs
- 1 grams
- Fiber
- grams
- Sugar
- grams
- Protein
- 78 grams
