Turkey Pastrami on Pumpernickel
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 sandwiches
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 16 servings
- Calories
- 283
- Total Fat
- 11
- Saturated Fat
- 3
- Carbohydrates
- 15
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 30
- Cholesterol
- 84
- Sodium
- 547
- Total: 7 days 2 hr 20 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Inactive: 7 days
- Cook: 2 hr
Ingredients
For the brine:
3 cups water
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup juniper berries, crushed
1/4 cup freshly cracked black peppercorns
8 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 (5-pound) fresh bone-in turkey breast
For the rub:
1/2 cup juniper berries
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup hickory chips
For the sandwich:
8 pieces pumpernickel or dark rye bread
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
2 tomatoes, ends trimmed, sliced in 8 (1/4-inch) slices
4 romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
Directions
- For the brine: In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil all ingredients except the turkey. Simmer until sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool completely. Double a one gallon re-sealable bag and fill with brine. Add turkey, seal bags and place in a shallow pan in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. (Just in case of leaking, check occasionally.) Remove breast from brine and rinse and dry well.
- For the rub: Pulse all the ingredients in a spice grinder or food processor until it becomes a coarse paste. Rub mixture all over turkey breast. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate resting in a bowl for 24 hours.
- To cook: Soak the chips submerged in water for 15 minutes. Place oven rack to position 4 inches below broiler. Preheat broiler on high. Drain chips and place in a 2 pound aluminum loaf pan. Broil the chips for 5 minutes, stir broil another 2 minutes. Remove to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place turkey skin side up in a pan fitted with a roasting rack. Place oven rack used to broil the chips in to the center of oven and roast turkey above smoking chips for one hour.
- Increase the heat to 325 degrees F if convection, 350 degrees F if standard oven. Carefully turn over and continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, another 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Remove turkey from oven. Cover loosely with foil and cool.
- To make the sandwich: Slice pastrami very thin. Toast bread. Spread mayonnaise on 1 piece, layer pastrami, onions, tomato and lettuce on top. Spread mustard on the other piece of toast. Place on top and cut it in half diagonally. Repeat with remaining ingredients.