Tender Homemade Pastrami is a labor of love, but isn’t at all difficult to make — it just takes time! Each step of this pastrami recipe builds flavor from the bottom up, from the salty brine to the peppery dry rub all the way to the smoker. This is a hands-on, involved pastrami recipe. But you’ll be so happy that you took the time to learn how to make pastrami with your own two hands.