“People ask me, ‘what’s the most authentic pastrami?’ or ‘when was the first pastrami served?'” Rabinovitch tells me. “And there’s no answer to either of those questions.” Just like pizza and burgers, it’s hard to point to one particular style and say “there, that’s the original.” Besides, chances are the most “authentic” deli sandwich for you is simply the first one that had an impact on your life.
Pastrami on rye at Katz’s deli, against blurred background.
Debating the differences between delis has a way of moving people apart: smoked meat vs. pastrami. Katz’s vs. Langer’s. Old school vs. new wave. But at the end of the day it’s all meat cut from the same cloth, part of a centuries-old story of immigrants preserving tradition while adapting to somewhere new. That’s a sandwich we can all get behind, no matter the particulars.
Rubbing the brisket
After that the briskets are dry cured with a mix of garlic, salt, pink curing salt, and other spices.
