Sous Vide and Smoked East Coast Pastrami

Stages of cooking

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9

1. Trim off fat cap of brisket; poke some holes in meat with a paring knife.
   
2. Bring water to a boil in a large pot on the stovetop. Remove from heat; as it starts to cool down, add white sugar, kosher salt, garlic, and pink curing salt.
   
3. Find a food-grade, nonreactive container with a lid; pour in brine and ice, then add brisket. Keep brisket in brine for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator. Flip brisket every 24 hours.
   
4. After brining, pull brisket out of the container and rinse under cold water.
   
5. Heat a pan over low heat. Toast coriander seeds, peppercorns, and mustard seeds in the hot pan, about 2 minutes. Remove and transfer to a food processor; add red pepper flakes, cloves, ginger, and bay leaves. Grind well.
   
6. Use 1/2 of the spice mixture to coat brisket; seal in a food saver bag. Reserve remaining spice mixture. Place brisket in a sous vide at 137 degrees F (58 degrees C) for 18 hours.
   
7. Remove from sous vide, cut open the bag, and brisket set out to dry and rest on a wire rack from a smoker for 30 minutes. Use remaining pickling spices to re-coat brisket.
   
8. Place a wire rack in the smoker. Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions and heat to 225 degrees F (107 degrees C).
   
9. Smoke brisket until browned, tender, and no longer pink in the center, about 5 hours. Pull brisket from the smoker and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.