When is a sandwich more than just a sandwich? When it’s got pastrami, baby! I know I set that up like a joke, but it wasn’t really funny, it was just a fact. If you’re a regular at Katz’s or Langer’s or Zingerman’s or another lauded Jewish-American deli, then you’re already familiar with pastrami. But for others, pastrami is somewhat of a mystery meat. So, what is pastrami meat? What is pastrami made of? Is pastrami beef or pork? Grab some rye bread and let’s pile on the answers.
What is pastrami?
Pastrami is a cured meat that may have originated in Romania. These days it can be found piled high on sandwiches in Jewish delicatessens or stocked with other lunch meats in grocery stores.
Is pastrami beef or pork?
These days, pastrami is almost alway made with beef. But back in the day, pastrami could be made with a wide variety of meats like goose or lamb. Making pastrami was a way to keep meat from spoiling before refrigeration. If you had a large animal and weren’t having a big party or feast, the meat could go to waste. So, the meat was put into a wet brine allowing salt to penetrate it, and then it was smoked. This cured, smoked meat would keep fresh for weeks longer than the raw stuff.
What is pastrami made of?
Pastrami is usually made from beef brisket and sometimes beef deckle (a shoulder cut) or navel (around the belly). Yeah, you know that delicious beef brisket from Texas barbecue? That same cut of meat is brined in a wet cure, then rubbed with spices like garlic, coriander, black pepper, paprika, cloves, allspice, and mustard seed then smoked to make pastrami.
What does pastrami taste like?
Pastrami has a rich, savory, salty flavor flecked with spice and smoke. It has a touch of tang, thanks to the mustard seed in the spice rub. It’s a little fatty and peppery, too.
What’s the difference between corned beef and pastrami?
Corned beef and pastrami rule the sandwich game at most delis. They’re both made from beef. They’re both kind of a pink color. And they’re both freaking delicious. So what’s the difference between corned beef and pastrami?
While pastrami is made from beef deckle, navel, or the fatty end of the brisket, corned beef is nearly always made from the leaner end of the brisket. Corned beef doesn’t involve corn. Corn was a term used back in the day for little hunks of stuff, in this case salt. Beef was “corned” in a wet brine of salt.
After curing for a while, corned beef is ready to be served. But pastrami is taken out of its cure, rubbed with spices, then smoked. This gives pastrami its smoky spiced flavor. They’re both freaking delicious. I never leave the house without a handful of corned beef in one packet and pastrami in the other.
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