Pastrami sandwich Romanian-Jewish-American deli classic

The pastrami sandwich is the defining dish of Jewish-American deli culture, originating from Romanian Jewish immigrants who adapted their homeland’s preserved meat technique in late-19th-century New York City. The name derives from Romanian pastramă (preserved meat), adapted into Yiddish as pastrami.

Origin and history

Romanian Jews brought pastramă, traditionally made from mutton or goat, cured, spiced, and air-dried, to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. By the 1880s, butchers substituted beef (more available in America) and introduced smoking, creating the distinctively pink-cured, smoky pastrami. The sandwich format emerged in Jewish delis, with Katz’s Delicatessen (1888) often credited as an early standard-bearer.

Core ingredients and technique

Pastrami uses beef navel (preferred) or brisket. The meat undergoes a 2–3 week wet cure in salt, sugar, and spices (coriander, black pepper, garlic, juniper), then is coated in a cracked-pepper-and-coriander crust, smoked over juniper-rich wood, and finally steamed before slicing. The steaming step is critical, it rehydrates the meat and produces the signature moist, tender texture. The canonical sandwich piles hot, thinly sliced pastrami on rye bread, spread with yellow mustard. Sauerkraut is optional but common; some versions are hot-pressed.

Regional and diaspora variants

• New York style: Thick, hand-sliced, piled high on rye with mustard; often served with a pickle spear.
• Montreal smoked meat: A close cousin but with a drier spice rub, less sugar, coarser pepper crust, and no juniper smoke; typically served on rye with mustard.
• Corned beef: Similar brine but no smoking step; the meat remains grayish-pink rather than developing pastrami’s smoky flavor.
• Italian bresaola: Air-dried beef, no smoke, longer dry cure; served cold, not steamed.

Los Angeles scene

LA has a storied pastrami tradition. Langer’s Delicatessen (DTLA, since 1947) is iconic for its hand-sliced pastrami on double-baked rye. Other notable spots include Canter’s Deli (Fairfax), Brent’s Delicatessen (Northridge), Wexler’s Deli (multiple locations), Greenblatt’s Deli (West Hollywood), The Reel Inn (Malibu), and Nate’n Al’s (Beverly Hills). LA versions often emphasize a slightly sweeter, less peppery profile than New York’s.

Dietary notes

• Gluten: Rye bread contains gluten; gluten-free options are rare.
• Kosher: Certified kosher pastrami is available at delis like Pico Kosher Deli and Jeff’s Gourmet (both in LA). Most pastrami is produced in non-kosher facilities.
• Halal: Typically not halal; production facilities often process pork or non-halal beef.
• Vegan/vegetarian: Not applicable; seitan-based “pastrami” substitutes exist but are uncommon.
• Allergens: Mustard and rye (gluten) are common allergens.