What pastrami is and how it differs from roast beef

Brine, a pepper and coriander crust, smoke and slow cooking. What the pink ring under the crust means and how to serve it.

The method in short

Pastrami is beef brisket that goes through three stages: several days in spiced brine, then smoking, then long slow cooking at a low temperature.

Roast beef is simply baked. That is the whole difference: pastrami has smoke, a deep cure and a peppery crust, and the meat pulls apart along the grain. In the catalogue it has a section of its own.

The crust and the pink ring

The classic coating is coarsely cracked black pepper and coriander. It gives both flavour and the look of the cut.

Under the crust a proper pastrami shows a pink ring a few millimetres wide. That is the mark of smoking, not raw meat — people worry about it needlessly. Pastrami sits well on a meat platter as the soft element.

How to serve it

The classic is a warm sandwich on rye with mustard and gherkins. Pastrami is not afraid of heat: warmth melts the fat and opens the flavour.

The other way is thick slices next to a side dish. Unlike air-dried meat, this one does not need to be cut thin.