The origin of pastrami remains something of a mystery. Most accounts will tell you it was directly inspired by the preserved meat called basturma, a lean cut of air-dried beef, which was spread throughout Eastern Europe by the Ottoman Empire over the centuries and then brought to America by Romanian-Jewish immigrants who arrived between 1881 and 1914. There’s no doubt the word pastrami is a cognate of basturma, but there the resemblance ends.
In contrast with its dry, thinner-sliced cousin — which is admirable in its own right — pastrami is made with a notably fat-laced beef brisket that’s been brined for several days (a process known as “corning”), rubbed with a spice mixture that often contains black peppercorns, yellow mustard seeds, and coriander, and then smoked. The result is a rich cut of meat with a complex and distinctive flavor, in which smoky notes compete with the sweetness of the spices and the saltiness of the brine. Pastrami in its ideal form is fatty, pink, and spectacular when served warm and thickly sliced.
Many are the conjectures about how the evolution occurred. My own crackpot theory, enunciated in my book New York in a Dozen Dishes, is that kosher butchers who operated in the Lone Star State around 1900 took an unwanted cut of meat that even the army wouldn’t buy, corned it, rubbed it with familiar Middle European spices, and preserved it by smoking, just as Texas barbecue was becoming increasingly popular in the state. Originally run by Germans, both Jewish and gentile, New York delis were quick to learn about and adopt the process. For a time it became their exclusive province, even as Romanian-Jewish restaurants (of which Sammy’s is our last remaining, but imperiled, example) ignored this avowedly American product and continued serving steaks and cutlets.
Whatever the origin, pastrami remains the gem in the crown of New York City’s distinctive Jewish deli cuisine, admired by visitors from all over the world. The modern era has seen a resurgence in its popularity and a broadening of its usage, following a decline during the no-fat ’90s. Even though the pandemic has closed some wonderful purveyors, including Harry & Ida’s and Jay & Lloyd’s, many old places remain open and new places have sprung up. Here are my 10 favorite pastramis in order of increasing excellence.
10. Butcher Block
This Irish butcher shop and grocery selling European packaged products in Sunnyside, Queens, is a neighborhood favorite, with a long, long counter famous for its hot sandwiches. Sure, the corned beef — an Irish passion — is totally up to par, but the pastrami, when it is intermittently offered, tastes even better, and sold at bargain prices. 43-46 41st Street, at Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside
9. Junior’s
Despite larding its menu with things like shrimp parmigiana, Philly cheesesteaks, and fried chicken, Junior’s remains at its heart a Jewish deli, occupying a key location near the Manhattan Bridge’s entrance into Brooklyn. The deli meats are much better than they need to be, including a delicately flavored pastrami that can be ordered on a pair of luscious onion rolls rather than on cardboard rye. 386 Flatbush Avenue Extension, at Fulton Street, Downtown Brooklyn
8. Second Avenue Deli
It was founded on Second Avenue in the East Village when that stretch was known as the Yiddish Broadway, but eventually moved to its present location in Murray Hill. The pastrami is very good and the deepest shade of red, but sliced too thin for my taste, though with the requisite fattiness that carries much of the flavor. Second Avenue is one of the city’s great historic delis, beset by tragedy but still unbowed. 162 East 33rd Street, between Lexington and Third avenues, Murray Hill
7. David’s Brisket House
Located in downtown Bed-Stuy, this may be the only halal…
Read More: 10 Exceptional Pastrami Sandwiches in New York City