Beef Short Rib Pastrami

• 2 racks (3 bone) Creekstone Farms Bone-in Beef Chuck Short Ribs

For the brine:

• 1 1/2 gallons water
• 3 cups Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 tbsp pink salt (sodium nitrite)
• 10 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup pickling spice (recipe below)
• 1” piece fresh ginger, peeled sliced
• 8 1/2 lb ice

For the rub:

• Kozlik’s Dijon Classique
• 1/3 cup black peppercorns, toasted, coarsely ground
• 1/3 cup coriander seeds, toasted, coarsely ground
• 1/3 cup Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-tip Seasoning

For the Pickling Spice:

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp red chile flakes
• 1 tbsp allspice berries
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• 1 tbsp juniper berries
• 1 tsp ground mace
• 1 small cinnamon stick, crushed
• 4 bay leaves, broken into pieces

To make the pickling spice, preheat a 12” Lodge cast iron skillet over medium heat. Toast the coriander, peppercorns and mustard seeds just until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Place the spices in a cloth napkin. Fold the napkin over the spices, and crack the spices by smashing them with a meat mallet, heavy skillet or rolling pin. Combine the toasted spices with the remaining spices. Store in a sealed container.

Combine all brine ingredients, except the ice, in a large pot. Bring to a boil and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.

Add the ice to a large Briner Bucket. Pour the brine mixture over the ice. Stir to melt the ice.

Place short ribs in the brining liquid. Lock the plate in place to make sure it is fully submerged. Refrigerate for 7-10 days.

Before removing the short ribs from the brine, preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 250ºF.

Remove short ribs from brine, and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Apply a thin layer of Kozlik’s Dijon Classique to the surface of the meat to help the rub adhere. Coat the brisket with the rub.

You might also enjoy: Beef Short Rib Barbacoa

Smoke at 250ºF until you achieve a nice mahogany red color on the outside, and the pastrami is tender when probed with a thermometer (roughly 195ºF internal), about 8-10 hours total. Allow meat to rest half an hour. Remove the bone and trim off the cartilage under the bones. Slice to serve.