pastrami

Pastrami slices

Pastrami is a popular delicatessen meat made principally from red meat, chiefly brisket. The raw meat is brined, partly dried, seasoned with various herbs and spices, then smoked.

Origin

Both the dish and the word pastrami were brought to the United States in a wave of Jewish immigration from Bessarabia and Romania in the second half of the 19th century. The word, derived from the Yiddish: פפּאַסטראָמע (pronounced pastróme), entered the Russian language as pastromá (пастрома) via the Romanian pastramă, and it is likely rooted in the Turkish pastırma.^[1]

Early references in English used the spelling "pastrama", while its current form is associated with a Jewish store: Pedro Fiorito, selling "pastrami" in New York City in 1887. It is likely that this spelling was introduced to sound related to the Italian salami.^[2]

Preparation and serving

Pastrami pizza

Pastrami, like corned beef, was created as a method for preserving meat before modern refrigeration. This technique is now unnecessary, but its unique flavor still attracts aficionados.

Traditional New York pastrami is made from the navel end of the brisket.^{[citation needed]} It is first cured in brine and then coated with a mix of spices, such as garlic, coriander, black pepper, paprika, cloves, allspice, mustard seed,^[3][4] and smoked.

In North America, pastrami is typically sliced and served in extreme proportions, hot on rye bread, a classic New York deli sandwich (Pastrami on Rye), sometimes accompanied by coleslaw and Russian dressing. Kaiser roll and baguette may be used as a basis for pastrami sandwiches. Pastrami and coleslaw are also combined in a Rachel sandwich, a variation of the popular Reuben sandwich that traditionally uses corned beef and sauerkraut.

Pastrami sandwich

Variations

Unlike the Jewish and modern American derivatives, mutton was historically used for pastramă in Romania. Over time beef became the norm.^{[citation needed]}

Turkey pastrami is made by processing turkey breast in a fashion similar to red meat pastrami, simulating the corresponding red meat deli product. Turkey pastrami, and the closely related chicken breast pastrami, are very popular meat products in Israel, mainly because of their low fat content and undisputable kashrut status.^[5] Israeli pastrama (stress on the second syllable, as in pastrami) is typically served cold in sandwiches on a variety of rolls and buns, including individual-sized baguettes, pita pockets, focaccia breads, and even croissants.^[6] It is also a standard ingredient in platters of cold cuts. Beef and pork pastrama is also available in Israel, but on a more limited scale—due to theological considerations, as far as pork is concerned.^[7] In New York City, the famous smoked fish delicatessen Barney Greengrass the Sturgeon King sells "Pastrami Salmon," which is essentially a piece of salmon coated in cracked peppercorns and smoked.^[8]

See also

• Smoked meat

References