If there is one thing you can be sure of when you walk into a Jewish deli, there will be piles of homemade, delicious pastrami ready to be served to hungry customers. Pastrami comes from beef brisket and is brined, partially dried, seasoned with herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed. Pastrami has been affiliated with the Jewish community for years, but how exactly did this correlation happen?
The origin of pastrami actually comes from a Romania dish called “pastirma”. Pastirma was traditionally made with goose meat. When Eastern Europeans migrated to New York City, Jewish immigrants adopted “pastirma” from their Romanian neighbors. Since goose was not readily available, Jewish delis used beef instead. The name “pastrami” is said to have formed from a combination of “pastirma” and “salami”. Since these meats were commonly displayed next to each other, the hybrid name of “pastrami” began to catch on.
Pastrami sandwiches have become an icon for Jewish delis and are now a sought-after culture dish. Even though pastrami is prepared in a specific way, Jewish delis can add their own ingredients to personally flavor their pastrami. The classic Jewish-American pastrami sandwich is served on rye bread with a spread of mustard.
Here at Chompie’s, we brought our homemade pastrami straight from our New York heritage to the Valley of the Sun. With our own classic blend of spices and flavors, our classic pastrami meat is ready to be enjoyed by you and your family. Stop in one of our locations today to enjoy Chompie’s Famous Sky Mile High hot pastrami sandwich. Trust us, you do not want to miss this.
