Pastrami Troubleshooting Guide – Girls Can Grill

Pastrami is simple in theory. You cure, season, smoke and slice meat, but a few small misses can throw off the whole batch.

Use this page to diagnose the issue fast and fix it on your next cook (or salvage the one you have).

For more tips, check out my Ultimate Pastrami Guide.

Pastrami too salty?

One reason people may say they don’t like pastrami is that it can be too salty. Prepared properly, it’s easy to avoid that.

Why it happens

• Brined too long for the cut/thickness.
• Brine was too strong (too much salt/cure for the water/meat).
• Skipped (or shortened) the post-brine soak/desalting step.
• Store-bought corned beef wasn’t soaked before seasoning/smoking.

How to fix it

• Use the right brine: The Girls Can Grill Pastrami Brine is formulated for a nice balance.
• Time it right: Follow my recommended curing times for different proteins.
• Use a salt-free rub: After a long soak in the salt solution, you don’t need to add more salt. Instead use a salt-free seasoning like Girls Can Grill Pastrami Rub.
• Rinse it: After the brine, run it under cold water to remove excess salt.

Pastrami too dry or tough?

Most pastrami is made with smoked brisket, which can be challenging to smoke.

Why it happens

• Cooked too hot/too fast.
• Pulled too early (not fully tender).
• Cut was too lean or trimmed too aggressively.

How to fix it

• Cook lower: When smoking pastrami brisket, cook it between 225-275F.
• Probe tender: Make sure the meat is probe tender before removing it from the smoker.
• Wrap: Consider wrapping the meat during the cook stage to lock in moisture.
• Let it rest: Resting the meat after it cooks helps the juices resettle in the meat.
• Slice thinner: Dry pastrami eats better shaved thin.
• Sauce or braise: Chop and simmer in a small amount of broth for sandwiches.

Bark too soft?

One of the tasty things about pastrami is that wonderful bark made with black pepper, coriander seeds and mustard seeds.

Why it happens

• Didn’t dry brine.
• Wrapped too early or finished in a humid environment without time to set bark.
• Sliced without a chill (warm slicing can pull bark).

How to fix it

• Dry brine: After the cure, rinse the meat, pat it dry and season. Then, let it dry brine in the fridge uncovered for one more day.
• Second season: Just before adding the meat to the smoker, add another dash of seasoning.
• Wait to wrap: If you’re going to wrap your meat, make sure the bark has fully set first.

Not smoky enough?

While corned beef is usually steamed or cooked in the oven, pastrami is smoked. If you’re not getting enough smoke, it’s a pit problem, not a recipe problem.

Why it happens

• Not enough clean smoke time early in the cook.
• Mild wood or too short a smoke window.
• Wrapped too soon

How to fix it

• Switch fuel types: Wood pellets have very mild smoke compared to charcoal or stick burners.
• Cook lower: If you only have a pellet grill, cook the meat at a lower temperature so the pellets create more smoke.
• Wait to wrap: Let your meat cook with the smoke for several hours before wrapping.

Too smoky?

If your pastrami took on too much smoke, you just need to adjust your smoker a bit.

Why it happens

• Dirty smoke (smoldering wood, restricted airflow).
• Too much wood for the cooker size.
• Grease/soot buildup creating acrid smoke.

How to fix it

• Run a clean pit: Make sure your smoker is clean before you add your meat.
• Clean smoke: Allow time for your wood or charcoal run clear before adding meat. If it’s thick and white or gray, it will be bitter.
• Switch woods: Woods like mesquite and oak are a bit stronger. Try milder woods like pecan, apple or cherry.

Slices crumble?

If you’re trying to get great deli-sliced pastrami and it just falls apart, here’s what probably happened.

Why it happens

• Sliced too hot (meat is fragile).
• Not fully tender (shreds) or overcooked (crumbles).
• Dull knife or wrong slicer setup.

How to fix it

• Watch temps: Follow the recipe for the proper internal cook temp. If you go over, it can become mushy.
• Rest: Allow time for meat to rest before slicing it.
• Chill first: If you want thin deli slices, refrigerate the pastrami, then slice cold for clean cuts.
• Use a sharp knife and slice against the grain.

Meat isn’t pink?

Not all meats change colors with curing salt. The process depends on the protein’s natural myoglobins.

Why it happens

• Not enough time in the cure.
• Cure mix too weak or mis-measured.
• Curing poultry or pork

How to fix it

• Extend cure time: Be sure to follow curing times according to the size and type of meat you’re cooking.
• Follow the recipe: The Girls Can Grill Pastrami Brine is created for a perfect cure.
• Accept it: Proteins like pork and poultry will become light pink, but they’ll never be bright pink like beef.