Episode 10 - Pastrami: The Uniqueness of American-Jewish Food

What makes American-Jewish pastrami different from other deli meats? How does it compare with its European precursors? How did the delicatessen embody the American-Jewish experience? And how similar are American-Jewish and European Ashkenazi cuisines?

Among other questions, this is what I explore in episode 10, focused on the beloved food of New York City, pastrami.

Interview: Ted Merwin

Episode Notes

Definitions:
“Deckel” – The Yiddish name for the cut of beef that sits on the stomach, just behind the brisket. It is also called “plate” or “navel,” and is essentially the equivalent cut on a cow to the part of a pig that become bacon.

Sources and links:
Eating Ham for Uncle Sam and Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army

The whole process of making a pastrami (even if he uses brisket)

Romanian pastramă

Jews and Goose

Pastirma/basturma

Hot Dogs as an American Jewish food

French Dip sandwich

Montreal Smoked Meat

Pastrami on Rye — a New York City icon

New York’s famous overstuffing of sandwiches

Any example of cutting corners to make cheaper pastrami

Gil Marks Encyclopedia of Jewish Food