# Pastrami-what the hell ??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671 "2000-11-17T22:29:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colin\_Trainer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@Colin\_Trainer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colin_Trainer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/1 "2000-11-17T22:29:44Z")
What the hell is this meat? does it come from a cow/pig/goat/moose? what cut of meat is it? how is it made? and where in the world did it come from? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/2 "2000-11-17T22:35:36Z")
It’s peppered beef shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/3 "2000-11-17T22:35:42Z")
I believe pastrami is basically smoked corned beef. Corned beef is beef brisket that has been cured in brine and spices. If you then smoke the beef (insert joke here) you get pastrami. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/4 "2000-11-17T22:54:09Z")
Ask not these questions, lest the demons of the deli underworld smite thee for exposing the secrets of our sacred pastrami ceremonies!!! In the beginning, the deli was void and without form , and there was pastrami not. Because of this there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. A bit later, there were delis, and knishes, and pastrami on rye, and there was much rejoicing. Long Live The Sandwich Maker! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2000, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/5 "2000-11-17T22:58:59Z")
Beef plate or beef brisket is soaked in a brine of salt, water, garlic, and a little sodium nitrite. After about 3 days, it is taken out of the brine and rubbed with black pepper and coriander. The meat is then smoked. The etymology of the word _pastrami_ is English pastrami \< Yiddish pastrami \< Romanian pastrama \< some Turkish word (probably). This is the only clue I can offer as to where the recipe comes from. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/6 "2000-11-18T00:08:51Z")
However correct you are **bibliophage** , I still like **Wonko** ’s answer better. ---
**Author:** ![AKAmame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@AKAmame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AKAmame)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/7 "2000-11-19T10:28:29Z")
I think you’ll find that pastrami is spiced corned beef. The meat is fairly moist, and has the green/purple sheen of a salt/nitrate cure (think supermarket bacon). The spiceing includes salt, garlic, and minimal paprika. A slice might be the size of your hand, cut bacon thick, and the spice layer is very sparse. For New York style pastrami, coriander is a dominant spice. ‘Pastrami’ probably derives from ‘basturma’ (I know of Turkish and Armenian types though there may be others. We prefer Armenian.). Basturma is cured, smoked and dried spiced beef, with a heavy emphasis on paprika (salt and garlic still present and accounted for though). A slice would be the size of your three middle fingers, and because the flavour is so intense it is usually cut so thin it is translucent. The spice layer is dense, and perhaps 3 to 5mm high. Basturma is wonderful in scrambled eggs: Ingredients about 5 _thin_ slices basturma, 2 eggs, butter, toast, optional chives. Procedure Melt butter on low heat in non-stick pan, break eggs into pan, stir, add chopped basturma as eggs firm. Add chopped chives just before serving if you are trying for pretty. Serve with buttered toast. (The recipe is actually my husband’s. The National Heart Foundation has him on their ‘wanted’ list). ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/8 "2000-11-19T11:53:14Z")
::dons welding mask and asbestos gloves And you gotta love pastrami with mayonaise! Yumm! ::removes protective gear ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2000, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/9 "2000-11-19T23:56:11Z")
Paprika?! You can’t handle the paprika! ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pastrami-what-the-hell/41671/10 "2000-11-20T01:44:53Z")
We’ve got an excellent Turkish restaurant here in Arlington that serves pastirma as an appetizer, basically in the form **AKAmame** described. Heavenly stuff, and while eating it I wondered if there was some connection between pastrami and pastirma, since they did seem similar in preparation. Now I know. Thanks.