Today we began the work necessary to make pastrami flavored short ribs. We cleaned up some short ribs and put them in a brine flavored with smoked soy sauce and smoked maple syrup. We incorporated a spice mix of peppercorns, allspice, grains of paradise and brown and yellow mustard seeds. We intentionally left the coriander out of the blend because its flavor can become overpowering. We will add the flavor of toasted coriander near the end of the process of making our short rib pastrami. For now we wait while the meat absorbs the brine.