If you do not like cilantro, I doubt you would like pastrami. Pastrami is not a spice. It could be any slice of meat. What classifies any meat as pastrami is the way it is prepared. Coriander is one of the basic ingredients that go into the preparation of pastrami, it comes from cilantro. So, if you hate it, you might not fancy pastrami.
Pastrami is usually mistaken for corned beef because they have the same pink color. But once you have a taste, you recognize the difference. Pastrami is marinated in spices for up to a week, then steamed and smoked to give it that smoky undertone that is peculiar to it.
What does Pastrami taste like? Pastrami is different from most meat. The taste can vary depending on the person making it. Generally, pastrami has the combined taste of sausage and roast beef. Pastrami can be chewy, but it is succulent with a melt-in-the-mouth feel.
If all that sounds too complicated, you could say pastrami tastes like beef soaked in deliciousness.
Pastrami could be very expensive but you would get enough worth for your money. The way pastrami is being prepared has evolved, and chefs are beginning to use food items other than meat to prepare pastrami.
Nutritional Benefits of Pastrami
Pastrami is made with corned beef, so people might be skeptical about its nutritional value. When compared to other deli meats like bologna or salami, the pastrami is lower in both calories and fat. So you could say it is the healthiest of the bunch.
One ounce serving of beef pastrami contains less than 50 calories. It falls into the same category as ham and deli turkey, so it can be regarded as a low-calorie sandwich filler. Turkey meat can also be used to make pastrami, and it contains even fewer calories than beef pastrami. In a one-ounce serving of turkey pastrami, you have 38 calories. Replacing your diet with culinary works of art like this can help manage weight.
Pastrami is low in fat but can be a source of saturated fat. The examples stated above; beef and turkey pastrami contains less than 2g of fat in a one-ounce serving. The presence of too much-saturated fat in one’s diet can cause a spike in cholesterol levels.
The recommended amount of saturated fat intake from the American Heart Association is no more than 16g a day. The low-fat content of the pastrami makes it ideal for inclusion in your diet.
Pastrami is usually made with lean meat. Most of the calories present there are gotten from its protein content. It can be classified as an animal-sourced protein. One ounce of beef pastrami contains about 6g of protein, while the same serving of turkey pastrami contains 4.5g. Pastrami is tagged as a complete source of protein because it can provide all of the essential amino acids.
Culinary Uses of Pastrami
Instead of talking about what you can do with pastrami beef or turkey, let’s talk about how pastrami has evolved past being used as a marinade for beef and is now viewed as a recipe.
The meat used doesn’t make the pastrami, the ingredients and style of cooking do. Pastrami can be regarded as classic culinary art. Instead of sticking to beef or turkey, you can try out a thin slice of lamb roast or seafood like salmon.
Salmon responds well to curing and smoking, so it makes a perfect candidate for pastrami. It would take about 3 days to make salmon pastrami as the fish will not need to marinate for long as meat does. The spices used in the pastrami marinade will match the rich texture and feel of the fish.
Pastrami can be used in sandwiches or used as a filling in baked goods. If you want to experience the full taste of this deli meat, you can eat it alone like a dish and enjoy it. But other than that, pastrami can be paired with a lot of things.
History of Pastrami? How To Procure It?
Pastrami has been prepared in America since the 1800s but it doesn’t originate there. Pastrami originates from Eastern Europe, the name originates from Romanian pastrama. It is a conjugation of the verb pastra which means to conserve or preserve something for a long duration of time. The etymology of that word is linked to the Turkish word pastirma which translates into pressed meat. This Turkish word has roots in a Greek word that translates into dried meat.
When the Jews migrated from Romania halfway into the 19th century they brought the idea of pastrami with them to the United States. It is speculated that before the Jews arrived in the US they probably used goose breasts to make pastrami because it was inexpensive and kosher. But upon arrival, they began to use beef because it was cheaper and more common.
Pastrami can be homemade or bought ready-made in stores. But it could be found in many restaurants across the country.
How Bad is Pastrami For You?
A one-ounce serving of pastrami contains 48 calories and 2 grams of fat. It can be combined with much healthier counterparts like rye bread. Rye bread is healthy because it is whole grain. The addition of mustard reduces the sodium content and brings more flavor to the sandwich.
Facts You Don’t Know About Pastrami
- Sussman Volk, a New Yorker is credited for creating the first pastrami sandwich in all of the United States in the year 1887. Sussman was a kosher butcher immigrant from Lithuania. He got the recipe as a reward for helping his Romanian friend store luggage when the latter traveled back to Romania.
- Before the invention of refrigeration, pastrami was invented as a way to preserve meat.