I brined mine, I basically picked and chose from various recipes and sources, and used what I had on hand. So this is what I came up with:
Corned Beef/Pastrami Brine
3 Gal Water
3 Cups Tenderquick
2 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
3 Tbsp. Onion Powder
1 Tbsp. Whole Clove
1 Tbsp. Whole Peppercorn
1 Tbsp. Whole Mustard Seed
1 Tbsp. Whole Coriander
1 Tbsp. Whole Allspice
1 Tbsp. Whole Fennel
1 Tbsp. Whole Rosemary Leaves
1 Tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbsp. Pickling Spice (kinda redundant I suppose)
6 Bay Leaves
6 Cinnamon Sticks
Bring water to a boil, add all ingredients, simmer until salt and sugars dissolve fully. Chill down to at least 40 deg. or cooler. Cover briskets in a nonreactive container (crock, plastic tub, I used a sanitized cooler) with chilled brine and cure for 7 days. I used 2 large brisket flats cut in half, but this volume could have easily done 3 times as much. I removed the briskets on the 7th day, and strain out the spices which are saved for a boil for corned beef. The corned beef are ready to be used or can be frozen for later use at this point. I refrigerated mine for 3 days for St. Pats. The other two halves got the following rub for pastrami:
3 Tbsp. CBP
1 Tbsp. Coarse Ground Coriander
1 Tbsp. Coarse Ground Mustard
1 tsp. Ground Thyme
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Paprika
1/4 Cup Salt
I ground my coriander and mustard seeds in my coffee mill coarsely. This rub covered one 5 lb. brisket about perfectly, I might cut the salt back next time some, there is plenty already in the meat from the brine. I put in smoker at 130 deg. for one hour with the damper wide open. Then add smoke for 2 hours with dampers at 1/4 open. Then bring smoker temp up to
around 200 to 220. Continue to cook until internal temp of pastrami is about 165. Cool for two hours at room temp, then into refer. Then freeze and eat. If one feels the brine is too salty, you could use instacure at the appropriate amount and salt at a lesser level.