Story
At its heart is thinly sliced pastrami, gently reheated with a brush of sesame oil to enhance its signature spice blend of black pepper and coriander. The meat is served alongside a variety of traditional Korean accompaniments (banchan): crisp napa cabbage leaves, perilla leaves, and thinly sliced red leaf lettuce for wrapping; quick-pickled daikon radish for brightness; and a selection of kimchi for heat and complexity.
To eat, diners take a leaf of cabbage or lettuce, add a slice or two of the warmed pastrami, top with their choice of banchan, a dollop of the mustard-gochujang sauce or ssamjang, and perhaps a few grains of purple rice. The wrap is eaten in one bite, creating an explosion of flavors that honors both Korean and Jewish culinary traditions while creating something entirely new.
Preparation
Step 1: Trim the Brisket
Try to remove most of the fat cap but leave about 1/4 inch on to help keep the meat moist. You also want to remove corners or flat ends that could burn while cooking. The ideal shape of the brisket is even and round to promote even cooking. If you skip this step, you may need to discard these corners or use them in another recipe.
Step 2: Brine the meat
For the brine, in a large container combine dark brown sugar, kosher salt, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, Prague powder #1, hot pepper flakes, crushed bay leaves, sprigs of rosemary, garlic cloves, juniper berries, and water. Stir to combine.
Step 3: The cook - Part 1
Put the brisket on a rack that fits into a baking tray that elevates from its drippings. This will ensure the meat receives even dry heat around it, making a more reliable cook.
Optional: We can render the fat trimmings to make tallow. This can help moisten the pastrami later. Put the trimmings in a separate baking tray beneath the brisket.
- 260° for 4 hrs. Cook the brisket and the fat trimmings. Remove the trimmings and rendered fat.
- 260° for 4-5 hrs: The brisket is "done" when the meat reaches internal temp of 172°F. The remaining fat-cap on the brisket will give when you push on it.
- Wrap the brisket in butcher paper, always fat side up and return to the oven.
Step 3: The cook - Part 2
- 300° for 2 hrs until the internal temp hits 190-195°.
The longest and most uncertain part of any barbecue is "The Stall" when the temperature of the meat stops rising. We're waiting for the collagen to break down, which comes slowly and then suddenly. - Cool for 2 hrs on a rack until internal temp backs down to 155°.
- 150° at 4-5 hrs You know about resting a steak. This is the same principle but with such a large piece of fragile meat we want to rest it gently. Return the brisket to the oven still in the butcher paper.
Step 4: Service
Place the toppings or banchan - perilla, daikon, lettuce, kimchi - in distinct service bowls
Separate the lettuce leaves and wash out any dirt. Be sure to dry them thoroughly before serving.
