Pastrami lovers across the country look forward to their favorite sandwich on January 14 as they recognize National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day.
A very popular delicatessen meat, pastrami is usually made from beef however sometimes is made from pork, mutton or turkey. The pastrami was originally created as a way to preserve meat before modern refrigeration. To make pastrami the raw meat is placed in brine, then partially dried, seasoned with various herbs and spices, smoked and steamed.
A wave of Romanian Jewish immigration introduced pastrami (pronounced pastróme), a Romanian specialty, in the second half of the 19th century. Early English references had used the spelling “pastrama” before the modified “pastrami” spelling was used.
New York kosher butcher, Sussman Volk is generally credited with producing the first pastrami sandwich in 1887, claiming to have gotten the recipe from a Romanian friend in exchange for storage of his luggage. Due to the popularity of his sandwich, Volk converted his butcher shop into a restaurant to sell pastrami sandwiches.
- Pastrami is typically sliced and served hot on rye bread, a classic New York deli sandwich (pastrami on rye), sometimes served with coleslaw and Russian dressing.
- Pastrami and coleslaw are combined in a Rachel sandwich ( a variation of the Reuben sandwich using corned beef and sauerkraut)
- In Los Angeles – The classic pastrami sandwich is served with hot pastrami right out of the steamer, sliced very thin and wet from the brine then layered on double-baked Jewish-style rye bread. It is traditionally accompanied by yellow mustard and pickles.
- In Salt Lake City – In the early 1960′s, Greek immigrants introduced a hamburger topped with pastrami and a special sauce. This pastrami burger remains a staple of local burger chains in Utah.
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