Recreating Katz’s Legendary Pastrami on Rye

When I saw a video about Katz, the famous deli in New York City that sells the best Pastrami, I began a search to recreate it with some modifications.
First, I did not want to use pickling salt or any curing agent with nitrite, which gives the meat a red or pink look. I could accept a darker look for a more healthy sandwich. Salt helps break down the tissues, the muscles, and the connective tissues, making the meat very tender. Salt is also good for preservation and flavor, but I did not want the salt and did not care about preservation. I was banking on slow cooking to produce a tender cut, and most likely, we will eat it in one day.
I also wanted to avoid marinating the meat for 30 days, as Katz does. I wanted to cook the Pastrami in a lot less time.
After several months of trial and error, I succeeded.
I asked my butcher to keep a small layer of fat on the meat, the tip of the brisket. I smeared the meat with a drizzle of olive oil and covered it moderately with a dry rub I developed from research on people trying to guess Katz’s rub recipe, including adding a few spices. I covered the meat with a plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for two days.
I placed the meat on the counter for three hours before baking it for two hours at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. I reduced the temperature to 175 and let it bake for eight hours. The sweet smell of allspice filled the house.
When the meat reached 165 degrees on a remote thermometer, I removed it from the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, I prepared the rye bread, the Thousand Island dressing, the sauerkraut, and the Swiss cheese to make the sandwiches. I saved the juice in a bowl and used it to dip the sandwich in it, boosting the flavor to a higher level.
It was so good. We almost ate the entire cut in one day.

Spices include Coriander, black pepper, mustard, red chile flakes, allspice, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, garlic powder, rosemary, onion powder, and a dash of cardamon.

Here is a link to Katz’s legendary Pastrami

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