Pickle-Brine Chicken Pastrami
FASTER
GLUTEN-FREE
Makes 6 servings
You’ve already learned about a great way to make beef pastrami (here). But you haven’t lived until you’ve made chicken pastrami—terrific in sandwiches for lunch. (Given the size of the boneless skinless chicken breasts, you don’t even need to slice them. Just one per sandwich, particularly on an onion or kaiser roll.) What’s more, you don’t have to drag out a smoker!
1 cup dill pickle brine
Six 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground dried mustard
1½ teaspoons mild smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1. Stir the pickle brine and the chicken in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate, tossing at least one time, for at least 6 hours, but not more than 8 hours.
2. Mix the coriander, mustard, smoked paprika, ginger, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, pat dry, and coat evenly with the spice mixture. Set aside at room temperature.
3. Position the rack in the center of the oven; heat the oven to 275°F. Set an oven-safe wire rack (such as a cookie cooling rack without rubber feet) on a large lipped baking sheet. Set the coated chicken breasts on the rack.
4. Bake until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of more than one breast registers 160°F, 1 to 1½ hours. Set aside for at least 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. If desired, cool to room temperature, then store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Voilà! Act like a chef and tuck a clean kitchen towel into your waistband. You won’t have to search for one to wipe up spills—which then won’t have a chance to dry into gunky blobs on the counter.