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Protein Pantry Pastrami-Style Turkey Breast

Ingredients
    Turkey:
  • 1 boneless, skinless turkey breast, about 3-4 lb (Turkey tenderloins, if included with the breast — definitely use them)
    • Spiced Brine:
  • For about 2 quarts:
  • 2 quarts water, divided
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 50 g kosher salt — I recommend weighing this because kosher-salt volume varies considerably by brand
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 3 bay leaves
    • Pastrami Rub:
  • 2 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp coarsely ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary, finely crushed
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, optional
Instructions
    The Night Before:
  1. 1
    Put 1 quart of the water into a saucepan along with the brown sugar, salt, coriander, mustard seed, peppercorns, fennel, cinnamon, chile flakes, cloves, and bay leaves.
  2. 2
    Bring just to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve.
  3. 3
    Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1 quart cold water. Chill the brine completely.
  4. 4
    Put the turkey into a nonreactive container or large zip-top bag and pour the cold brine over it. Refrigerate 18-24 hours. USDA recommends keeping poultry refrigerated during brining.
    5. Day of:
  5. 5
    Take the turkey out of the brine and discard the brine.
  6. 6
    Don't rinse the turkey. Just pat it extremely dry with paper towels.
  7. 7
    Mix all the rub ingredients and press the mixture generously over every surface of the breast.
  8. 8
    I don't think you need mustard or oil as a binder here. A slightly damp turkey surface should hold that coarse pepper-and-coriander mixture just fine.
  9. 9
    Into the smoker immediately
  10. 10
    Preheat to: 275°F
  11. 11
    I like a fairly restrained smoke for turkey. Apple, cherry, pecan, or a mild hickory would all work. I wouldn't bury this under mesquite.
  12. 12
    Put the breast and any tenderloins into the smoker.
  13. 13
    The original recipe smokes at 250°F and says it can take up to two hours. Moving to 275°F gives us some schedule insurance while still providing plenty of smoking time.
    14. Cooking:
  14. 14
    Start checking the tenderloins after about 45 minutes. They're our secret weapon for the stream because they're likely to finish considerably before the breast.
  15. 15
    Check the breast beginning around 1 hour.
  16. 16
    Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F. USDA's safe minimum temperature for poultry is 165°F.
  17. 17
    Remove and loosely tent with foil.
  18. 18
    Rest: 15-20 minutes
  19. 19
    For immediate tasting, slice thinly across the grain.
  20. 20
    Chill it before serious slicing
  21. 21
    Once cooled, refrigerate the breast until thoroughly cold — preferably overnight.
  22. 22
    A cold turkey breast will slice much thinner and cleaner than a warm one. If you've got a deli slicer, this is where it earns its keep.
  23. 23
    I would portion it into roughly 4-6 oz packages for refrigerator/freezer use.
Read it online: https://wayfarerspantry.com/thepantry/recipe/protein-pantry-pastrami-style-turkey-breast/