Guy Fieri’s Primetime Pastrami: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming the Hero of Every Party
“Call your mommy, we’re about to make pastrami.” That’s how Guy Fieri kicks off this hands-on tutorial that proves making your own deli-quality pastrami isn’t as daunting as it sounds. This isn’t your typical restaurant visit—it’s Guy at home, walking viewers through the entire process of transforming a whole brisket into the star of any meat platter.
The Brine: Where the Magic Begins
Guy starts with simmering water and builds a brine that’s packed with flavor. The ingredient list reads like a spice cabinet tour: brown sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon sticks, pink curing salt (which Guy notes gives pastrami its signature color and aids the curing process), mustard seed, star anise, cloves, chili flake, fennel, coriander, bay leaves, and juniper berries—which he crushes by hand to open up the flavor.
Everything goes into the pot and steeps for about thirty minutes. Then comes the ice bath to cool it down quickly. Guy warns not to dilute it too much: “The more you dilute it, the longer it’s going to take for this thing to brine.”
Don't lose this list! Drop your email and we'll send it to you, so you've got it handy next time you're hungry or planning a trip.
Trimming the Brisket
The brisket gets serious attention. Guy trims off excess fat, explaining that while fat is fantastic for low-and-slow barbecue, it acts as a barrier that prevents the brine from penetrating the meat. His tip for all that trimmed fat? Render it down for making fries. He also notes that if you ask your butcher to trim it for you, they’ll charge you for the fat weight—so doing it yourself saves money and gets you more pastrami.
Once trimmed, the brisket goes into the brine for five to ten days—or even up to two weeks if you’ve got the patience. “You’re my hero,” Guy says of those who go the full distance.
The Dry Rub
After brining, the meat comes out with beautiful color from all those days soaking up flavor. Guy pats it dry—it needs to be tacky, not wet, so the dry rub sticks properly. The rub combines juniper berries, black peppercorn, coriander, chili flake, brown sugar, granulated garlic, and salt. He grinds some of it but keeps larger particles for texture.
Guy presses the rub into the meat by hand, letting it coat every surface. If you can let it sit uncovered in the fridge for another day or two with the dry rub on, even better. Similar to how the BBQ Pulled Pork Biscuits in Denver benefit from patience and proper technique, this pastrami rewards those who don’t rush the process.
Into the Smoker
Any smoker works—pellet, built-from-scratch, whatever you’ve got. Guy runs his at 220-225 degrees with a combination of hickory and cherry wood. Eight hours later? “That’s what I’m talking about.”
The beauty of this method is scalability. Guy suggests making two or three at once: “These freeze awesome, they’re great gifts.” He mentions always having pastrami “in some shape or form ready to go” at the Fieri compound—much like keeping crowd-pleasers on hand similar to the LOADED Chicken Pot Pie in a Jar.
Tips from Guy’s Kitchen
Use fresh spices. “This is not the time that you use the old juniper berries that you had in there since the last time you made pastrami.”
Keep your knife sharp. Guy grabs the steel mid-trim, noting that fat on the blade acts as a lubricant and prevents proper sharpening.
Pink curing salt is essential. It’s easy to find online if your local store doesn’t carry it.
Looking for more Triple D inspiration? Browse our restaurant directory to find Flavortown favorites near you.