Miss Ruben's pastrami

By: Amanda Ruben
From: Feasting
Serves: 6-8
Photographer: Elisa Watson

If cooking is the way to a man’s heart, then our pastrami is a direct injection. I’ve had marriage proposals over Miss Ruben’s pastrami. It’s a three-day process for us, but this recipe reduces the steps and cooking time so you can easily make it at home (although the sauerkraut still needs to be made five days in advance). Serve the pastrami warm, piled on rye bread with pickles, sauerkraut and mustard, or with potato salad, slaw and all the trimmings. You won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1 tablespoon	black peppercorns
1 tablespoon	white peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons	coriander seeds
3 teaspoons	light brown sugar
2 teaspoons	salt
1.5kg	pickled beef brisket
2 tablespoons	american mustard
	pickled cucumbers, to serve
	rye bread, to serve
	mustard of your choice, to serve

Red sauerkraut

Quantity	Ingredient
1	medium red cabbage, finely shredded, about 1kg
1 teaspoon	rock salt
2 teaspoons	caraway seeds
1/4	bay leaf
1	juniper berry

Method

To make the sauerkraut, put the cabbage in a large bowl. Using a spice grinder, blend together the rock salt, caraway seeds, bay leaf and juniper berry. Sprinkle the salt mix over the cabbage and massage well until the cabbage has softened. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to stand overnight at room temperature.
The next day, massage the cabbage again and transfer it with its liquid to a sealed airtight container.
Leave the sauerkraut to ferment for 5 days at room temperature, opening the container to air for a few minutes every couple of days. Transfer it to the refrigerator to stop the fermenting process.
Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Grind the peppercorns, coriander and cumin seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Mix with the sugar and salt.
Using a pastry brush, spread the brisket with mustard, then sprinkle with the spice mix, ensuring the meat is evenly coated.
Place the brisket on a wire rack set over a roasting tray. Roast in the oven for 4½ hours. Wait for it to cool slightly before slicing thickly.
Serve the pastrami sliced and still warm, thickly layered on top of the sauerkraut and pickled cucumber, between slices of rye bread with mustard.