Pastrami is a cured and seasoned beef product that has become synonymous with the New York Jewish delicatessen. Its invention does not point to a single moment or person, but rather a long history of culinary adaptation and migration. The modern sandwich meat is the result of centuries of preservation techniques that traveled across continents and evolved with new ingredients and technology.
The Ancient Roots of Cured Meat
The story of pastrami begins with a much older, air-dried meat product known as pastırma or basterma. This preservation method has roots in the vast geographical area once controlled by the Ottoman Empire, extending from Turkey through the Balkans. The word itself is thought to derive from the Turkish root bastırmak, meaning “to press,” which describes a key step in the original preparation process.
The original pastırma was often made from meats like mutton, goat, or camel. The traditional method involved salting the meat, pressing it to remove moisture, and then air-drying it for several days. The final step was coating the meat in a thick, pungent paste called çemen, a rub made from fenugreek, crushed cumin, garlic, and hot paprika. This ancient, jerky-like product was significantly drier and more intensely flavored than the pastrami known today.
The recipe migrated into Eastern Europe, where it was adapted by Jewish communities, particularly in Romania, who often used goose breast instead of beef due to local availability. The Romanian word for this cured meat, pastramă, is the direct linguistic predecessor to the American “pastrami.”
The American Transformation and the Deli Legend
The true transformation of pastramă into the modern deli pastrami occurred in New York City in the late 19th century, brought by a wave of Jewish immigrants from Romania and Bessarabia. These immigrants carried their traditional recipes, but the economic and culinary landscape of America necessitated a change in ingredients. Goose was expensive in the New World, while beef, particularly the navel cut, was relatively cheap and plentiful.
The widely accepted origin story credits Sussman Volk, a kosher butcher and Lithuanian immigrant on New York’s Lower East Side, with serving the first pastrami sandwich around 1887. The legend states that Volk received the recipe from a Romanian friend as payment for storing his belongings. Volk began preparing the meat and serving it to customers, and its immediate popularity led him to convert his butcher shop into one of the city’s first delicatessens.
This American adaptation involved a crucial change in the cooking method, moving away from the traditional air-drying. The availability of refrigeration allowed for the use of a weaker salt brine, which resulted in a softer, less dehydrated product. The final step of steaming the meat, rather than simply air-drying it, was introduced to tenderize the tough beef navel or brisket cut. This steaming process breaks down the connective tissues into gelatin, creating the signature tender, juicy texture that distinguishes American pastrami from its European ancestor.
What Makes Pastrami “Pastrami” Today
The modern preparation of pastrami is a multi-stage process that combines ancient preservation with modern cooking techniques. The process begins with a long wet-cure, where the beef navel or brisket is submerged in a brine of water, salt, sugar, and curing agents like sodium nitrite for five to fourteen days. This brining preserves the meat and gives it the characteristic pink color.
After curing, the meat is rinsed and coated in a thick, dry spice rub that defines its flavor profile. The signature crust is primarily composed of coarsely cracked black pepper and coriander seed, often supplemented with garlic, paprika, and mustard seed. The seasoned meat is then slow-smoked over hardwood, such as hickory or oak, for several hours, which infuses it with a deep, smoky aroma.
The final step is steaming, which is what differentiates pastrami from corned beef. The meat is steamed until its internal temperature reaches between 198 and 203 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the tough muscle fibers are fully broken down. This results in a tender, succulent product that is sliced thinly and served hot, typically piled high on rye bread with a smear of spicy brown mustard.