Posted on 01/22/2014 11:31:04 AM PST by nickcarraway
In the kingdom of cured meats, bacon and ham tend to hog the glory but think beyond pork and ponder pastrami. The brined, spiced and smoked beef variety can lend big flavor to many dishes, in a starring role or as an accent.
The variety of pastrami choices in Dallas has never been greater. Besides the old-school, New York deli pastrami that’s sold nationwide, there’s the really old-school pastrami that’s devoid of chemical preservatives and made in small batches. The latter is enjoying a renaissance among locavores from Brooklyn to Dallas. Just as small-batch cheeses stand a world apart from processed cheese, handmade pastrami is a big upgrade from the preservative-laden cold cut sold in packages. You don’t have to make your own to enjoy the good stuff; you can buy it — a blessing, since it takes days to cure and lots of fridge space.
Pastrami’s roots go back to the Ottoman Empire, when meats were salt-cured, spiced and air-dried. It was first called pastirma, which many say morphed into the Romanian pastrama (prepared with duck or veal), and later, the beef pastrami that Jewish immigrants made an American deli sensation. Peppercorns and coriander seeds are the traditional seasonings that encrust pastrami, lending a spicy kick to the salty, smoked meat. Brisket and beef navel are common cuts for making pastrami, and turkey is the most common non-beef variation.
At LUCK (Local Urban Craft Kitchen), chef Daniel Pittman calls his version “a Texas-style pastrami.” The brisket is brined for three days in a garlic- and pickling-spice-infused liquid, coated in spices and mesquite-smoked for 12 to 15 hours.
At Bolsa Mercado, chef Justo Blanco gives brisket a five-day cure in a seasoned brine before rubbing it with spices and cooking. “We smoke it in small chunks for a more aggressive
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Yes, of course!
Delicious plain yellow mustard.
BA-TAMPTE is a yellow mustard, but way better than French’s or Plochmans.
Don’t know why; maybe it’s the coarse ground mustard seed or I don’t know what. But that stuff opens the pores in my forehead like you wouldn’t believe. And it has texture. Hey it’s kosher (not that it matters to me) and it’s from Brooklyn. And their garlic dill spears are top notch. Can’t forget the pickle. Claussen’s are a close second.
Today’s pastrami is too lean.
“Pastrami & Swiss on rye with BA-TAMPTE deli mustard..... YUM!”
Mmmm... for me it’s a dipped pastrami on crunchy sourdough french with mustard and jalapenos.
Bacon remains the king, followed by pastrami and corned beef close behind that. Roast beef deserves a little love too.
Whenever I buy pastrami at my grocery deli they never have it sliced and on display. They usually have to dig around to find it. But on the way home the heavenly smell permeates the car.
“or even enjoying a PLT instead of a BLT”
I know I wouldn’t be enjoying a PLT. Putting produce on a pastrami sandwich is sacrilege.
“The hot pastrami, provolone, mustard on an onion roll is to die for.”
Don’t forget the pickles!
I will definitely be making this on Friday! Thank you.
Makes you hungry now doesn’t it...just thinking about it.
Yes.
Hmmm...I don’t know about that one.
I love a good hamburger and that site has some good ones. There’s a lot of good food in my area, north of Philly, but no good burger joints. Again, thanks.
“Hmmm...I don’t know about that one.”
Brooklyn Jewish thing. Same with salami and eggs.
Oh. gosh, of course they would. I'm drooling.
I love pastrami, but that sounds disgusting.
Yes I know, as I spent a couple of decades in the North about 80-100 miles from NYC. Things like Bagels and Lox, but I never tried the Salami and eggs...I am strictly southern when it comes to breakfast- the best meal of the day.
Now, I don’t eat bisquits often, maybe once a month or so; or gravy. I do like protein (eggs), and I avoid most pork due to how it is raised nowadays. The family likes brunch, so those things show up on get together days.
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