Curing pastrami is a celebration of great craftsmanship. This pastrami begins with a great cut of beef—a 5-pound piece of brisket from the fatty end, which is called the point—and is transformed by salt, smoke, and time into something magical. Not only is the experience of preparing pastrami a worthwhile exercise, the meat that results is free of commercial artificial preservatives, and its wonderfully salty and spicy flavor is reminiscent of what this cured meat is supposed to taste like. The process is not complicated, but it does take some planning. We use our restaurant smoker. You could certainly try it in a backyard smoker, but in this recipe, the pastrami is cooked in the oven. We add shiro dashi to give it a bit of smoky flavor. A tiny bit of pink salt (sodium nitrite) is necessary to preserve the meat and protect it from dangerous bacteria.

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