Joe ClementsJune 4, 2019

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A great spice blend rub is the key for turning your cured corned beef into delicious pastrami.

All authentic pastrami rubs contain ample amounts of freshly ground black pepper and coriander.

This rub ramps up the flavor by mixing freshly cracked pepper and coriander seeds with a special blend of spice powders.

The inspiration for this recipe came from amazingribs.com.

This rub has been designed for pastrami, but you can also use it on all other kinds of meat.

Don’t worry if the whole seeds are still quite chunky. The flavors will mellow out and they help create an amazing texture for the bark.

You will need to smash them pretty hard with a heavy frying pan or rolling pin to crack them open.

Smoked Pastrami Rub

This rub ramps up the flavor by mixing freshly cracked pepper and coriander seeds with a special blend of spice powders.

3.75 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Condiment / Sauce

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: 1 whole brisket

Calories: 225kcal

Author: Joe Clements

Ingredients

2 tbsp black peppercorns ground
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
½ tsp mustard powder
2 tbsp black peppercorns whole
1 tbsp coriander seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds

Instructions

Combine all of the ground peppercorns, brown sugar, paprika, coriander powder, garlic powder, onion powder and mustard powder in a small bowel and mix to combine.
Combine the whole peppercorns, coriander seeds and mustard seeds and lay on a clean cloth.
Fold the cloth and then use a heavy pan or rolling pin to smash the seeds. You want them to be cracked but not completely turned into a powder.
Add to the bowl and mix all ingredients together.
If you are using straight away, spread mustard over the meat to help the rub stick and then apply rub liberally to all sides of the meat. Make sure to press the rub in with your hands to help it stick.
If you are not using straight away store in an air tight container.

Notes

You can substitute the whole peppercorns and coriander and mustard seeds for powder if you wish. But the cracked seeds have a lot more flavor and help create a more textured rub.
Every ingredient is optional except for the ground coriander and black pepper.