Sandwich fans know, there's hardly a better meal out there than a classic Reuben. Layered with tender meat, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and tangy dressing, it's downright irresistible. But are Reubens better with corned beef or pastrami, and is there even a difference? When it comes to placing your order at the deli counter, you're going to want to know the answer.
It turns out, corned beef and pastrami are two totally different meats. For one, their flavors aren't the same. (Both will taste salty, but pastrami has a little extra spice and flavor while corned beef is plainer.) They also have their own unique origins and preparations, along with different ways to serve them. Read on to find out everything you need to know about corned beef and pastrami and which one of these delicious meats you should be making for St. Patrick's Day!
What is pastrami?
Pastrami is a classic Jewish-American deli meat that's made from a couple of different cuts of beef called the navel and the deckle. It's less often made with brisket (but can sometimes be made from turkey or lamb, too). Pastrami is brined in a very similar solution to the brine used for corned beef: lots of salt, some sugar, and spices like black peppercorns, cloves, dill, juniper berries, and bay leaves. The main difference here is that after curing in the brine, pastrami is rubbed with a flavorful spice mix made from fennel and mustard seeds, coriander, black peppercorns, brown sugar, and garlic. This rub gives the meat a dark, flavorful crust. Once the pastrami is seasoned, it is slowly smoked. When you get ready to serve it, steam the pastrami to reheat it and make it meltingly tender.
How do you eat pastrami?
Traditionally, pastrami is thinly sliced and piled high (and we do mean high!) onto a sandwich. To keep with tradition, stick with rye bread, and don't forget a squirt of mustard! Pastrami has a deeply savory, salty, and smoky flavor, and a little mustard provides some balancing tang. This deli meat is best served warm, so be sure to steam it before you pile it onto bread.
What is corned beef?
Corned beef is a traditional Irish-American food that's made from beef brisket that's been cured in a solution of salt and spices like coriander, mustard seeds, bay leaves, juniper berries, and black peppercorns. Pink salt (sodium nitrite) is also used in the curing process and is what gives corned beef its pinkish hue. (Curing meat in salt used to be a way to preserve it before refrigeration.) Corned beef briskets you buy at the supermarket have already been cured, so all that's left to do is cook it! Corned beef can be boiled on the stovetop or slowly baked in the oven. Both methods take several hours, depending on the size of the brisket. You'll notice that most corned beef briskets come with a spice packet attached. We recommend sprinkling and rubbing it onto the meat for baking, or adding it to the water for boiling for a boost of flavor.
How do you eat corned beef?
Corned beef is the star of a Reuben sandwich where it's sliced and piled onto marble or regular rye bread with sauerkraut, Swiss, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing. And while a corned beef sandwich is delicious, that's not the only way to eat it. For a St. Patrick's Day meal, try it served as a whole roast with cabbage and potatoes. Leftover corned beef can be repurposed for a Reuben casserole or corned beef hash for breakfast.
Is a Reuben better with corned beef or pastrami?
A Reuben sandwich is typically made with corned beef. It would taste great with pastrami too, it just wouldn't be a classic Reuben! Bottom line: You can't go wrong with either of these flavor-packed deli meats.
FAQs
The preparation: Pastrami is smoked and then steamed whereas corned beef isn't smoked. The flavor. Pastrami is more flavorful because it's brined before being rubbed with a flavorful seasoning blend whereas corned beef is only brined.
What's the difference between corned beef and pastrami sandwiches? ›
The main difference between corned beef and pastrami is the way they're cut and processed. Plus, after cutting and curing, corned beef is boiled, whereas pastrami is smoked and steamed.
Is a Reuben sandwich made with corned beef or pastrami? ›
A Reuben sandwich is typically made with corned beef. It would taste great with pastrami too, it just wouldn't be a classic Reuben! Bottom line: You can't go wrong with either of these flavor-packed deli meats.
What's the difference between pastrami and corned beef we asked Katz's deli? ›
Both are beef cuts that go through brining, but corned beef is traditionally made exclusively from brisket, while pastrami is made from (but not limited to) the fattier navel cut, Katz's owner Jake Dell explained to Serious Eats.
What is a beef pastrami sandwich called? ›
The gooey, juicy, cheesy Classic Pastrami Reuben is deceptively quick and easy to make. It's basically a grilled cheese plus a few extra flavor-filled toppings.
Which is tastier pastrami and corned beef? ›
They have a similar flavor profile, but pastrami is richer with a smoke-forward flavor while corned beef is leaner and drier (not in a bad way). You can use them interchangeably in most recipes—however, we prefer pastrami when it's served warm.
What part of the cow is pastrami? ›
Corned beef is made from brisket, which comes from the lower chest of the cow; pastrami is either made from a cut called the deckle, a lean, wide, firm shoulder cut, or the navel, a smaller and juicier section right below the ribs. These days, you may also see pastrami made from brisket.
Is it hard to get into Katz Deli? ›
Now, the place is so crowded that a line forms outside on Houston Street, and just getting a sandwich inside can take 10 or 15 minutes. Like our rickety subway system, Katz's is a survivor.
Should pastrami be sliced thin or thick? ›
Place pastrami under the broiler and cook until surface browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pastrami from the oven and cut into thin slices, about 1/8-inch thick.
Why is Katz Deli so good? ›
We only select the best cuts of beef for our corned beef, pastrami, brisket, and other fine foods. Our corned beef and pastrami is cured using a slower method, which best flavors the meat, without injecting chemicals, water, or other additives to speed the process.
Romanian Jews emigrated to New York as early as 1872. Among Jewish Romanians, goose breasts were commonly made into pastrami because they were available. Beef navel was cheaper than goose meat in America, so the Romanian Jews in America adapted their recipe and began to make the cheaper-alternative beef pastrami.
What part of the pig is pastrami? ›
Pastrami is cured, and making it from pork belly doesn't change that. We want that beautiful rosy color that comes with the protein change of curing, and we want the flavor of the cured meat, which you can't get any other way.
Which is fattier, corned beef or pastrami? ›
Because the navel tends to be fattier than brisket, pastrami may have slightly more fat than corned beef. When it's made from brisket, the amount of fat depends on whether it's cut from the point or flat. In Jewish delis, customers can usually specify whether they'd like their sandwiches lean or fatty.
Can corned beef be used for pastrami? ›
Simply take a store bought corn beef brisket, soak in cold water to remove some of the excess brine, then season and smoke! Use the pastrami for reubens and other sandwiches or just serve with some cabbage and potatoes on the side for a delicious meal.
What is pastrami seasoning made of? ›
1/4 cup coarse ground black pepper. 2 tablespoons coriander seeds. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar.
Why is a pastrami sandwich called a Reuben? ›
One origin story holds that Reuben Kulakofsky (his first name sometimes spelled Reubin; his last name sometimes shortened to Kay), a Lithuanian-born Jewish grocer residing in Omaha, Nebraska, asked for a sandwich made of corned beef and sauerkraut at his weekly poker game held in the Blackstone Hotel from around 1920 ...
What kind of meat is corned beef? ›
Historically, any type of meat could be put through the curing process that makes what we know as corned beef today. In the U.S., corned beef is made from beef brisket. You might have seen it at Jewish delis, and that's because the brisket is a traditionally kosher cut of meat that's cured to tenderize it.
