With St. Patrick's Day on the horizon, many people are flocking to their local delis and grocers to stock up on all of the necessities: green beer, cabbage, and, of course, corned beef. While corned beef tends to be a staple of the Irish holiday, you can always find it in plenty of tasty sandwiches year-round. Also available all year, pastrami is another popular deli meat that often gets confused for the St. Patty's Day staple.
So, what exactly sets the two meats apart? Let's look into it.
What Is Pastrami?
Unlike corned beef, which is typically made from lean brisket cured in a salt solution (aka brined) and then boiled or slow-cooked, pastrami is usually crafted from a fattier cut of brisket—or sometimes from the deckle or navel areas of the cow. It also undergoes a curing process, followed by a coating of spice blend, smoking, and, typically, steaming.
The spice mixture applied to the meat is often combines black pepper, garlic, coriander, mustard seeds, and/or fennel seeds. Pastrami is a staple at Jewish delis and can be found in many a sandwich recipe.
How Is Pastrami Different Than Corned Beef?
While the two types of meat have many similarities—both come from similar cuts of beef, and both are brined—there are still a handful of notable differences. The first is that they differ in cooking methods. Corned beef is typically boiled or steamed after it's been salt-cured, while pastrami is seasoned, smoked, and then, often, steamed after it's been salt-cured.
The two meats also have differing origins. As we know, corned beef has Irish American roots, which is why it's often the focal point of many St. Patrick's Day celebrations, whereas pastrami is said to have originated in Romania. They're not exactly the same thing—but we like to think of them as salty, meaty siblings.
How Do You Eat Pastrami?
Most people like to eat it pretty straightforwardly: with mustard on rye. Again, that's different than most corned beef-based meals. Corned beef is mainly paired with cabbage and carrots, though you can still find it sandwiched between two pieces of bread at many delis.
So while you can totally use both of these as the star of your next sandwich, pastrami is much more commonly found only in a sandwich application. However you decide to enjoy these thin-sliced cousins is up to you!
