INDONESIAKININEWS.COM - Legendary Broadway playwright Herb Gardner once stated, "A man untouched by the understated lyrics of hot past...
This may seem like a lot of hype for pastrami, but if you've ever sunk your teeth into a Reuben sandwich, then you know the praise is deserved. People have enjoyed pastrami for centuries. I
t came to the US in the 1800s from the culinary genius of Romanian immigrants, reports Taste. Hundreds of years earlier, Ottoman Empire home cooks made a salt-cured version called a pastirma.
Anthony Bourdain swears by pastrami - even for breakfast. The chef posted an Instagram photo of stacked Pastrami Queen sandwiches with the caption "Right off the plane. 10am. The joys of traveling are many, but sometimes there's no place like home."
Jewish delis have established their position of prowess in the culinary world in part to pastrami.
Larder in Cleveland, OH makes koji-fermented pastrami that very well might change your life. (At least, it'll change the way you think about pastrami forever.) Barney Greengrass holds down the literal and proverbial pastrami fort in Manhattan.
Pastrami is the cured, spiced, smoked angel straight out of foodies' wildest dreams, but it doesn't come without work — like, a lot of work.
For intrepid, frenetic, masochistic home cooks, it is possible to make pastrami yourself, but there's a long downside.
Buckle in for an entire week
If you do decide to embark on a homemade pastrami voyage, get ready to say goodbye to a full shelf in your refrigerator for the next four days.
That means you probably won't be stocking the fridge with groceries anytime soon.
Pastrami may be a New York City classic, but if you live in a classic Brooklyn walk-up with two or three (or four) roommates, it's unlikely that a spare shelf is a resource at your disposal in your shared refrigerator.
Making homemade pastrami requires three days of soaking in brine in the fridge, says the Food Network, plus another day of curing (also in the fridge).
Smoked BBQ Source recommends much longer: a full 5-7 day soak in the fridge.
Then there's the spice rub. Fans love pastrami for its deep, slow smoky flavor, but it also means you'll need to actively monitor the smoker for up to eight hours — and then, after that, steam it in the oven for a few hours.
Katz Delicatessen has been making world-renowned pastrami in NYC for over 125 years, and the pastrami-making process takes nearly that long.
According to third-generation owner Jake Dell, Katz's pastrami cures for two to four weeks and smokes for two to three days (via Serious Eating).
If that sounds like a diabolical job, that's because it is. You are better off leaving it to the professionals and reaping the benefits for yourself. (Be sure to leave a hefty tip.)
Source: tastingtable
