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
Both pastrami and corned beef are made with beef, although pastrami uses the fattier end side of brisket while corned beef is made from the leaner flat cut. Pastrami is smoked while corned beef is typically steamed or boiled.
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.
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's the difference between beef and corned beef? ›
ANSWER: They are both beef, but not the same thing. Fresh beef brisket is like a big roast. Corned beef starts out as beef brisket and is brine-cured first. The brine-cure is what makes it corned beef and that curing process is where it gets its color from.
What's the difference between pastrami and beef brisket? ›
"Smoked meat made from brisket can be stringier and a lot softer if it's steamed right. [Brisket's] not fattier throughout the cut, but it has a larger cap of fat, and it has a stringier texture, more fibrous. American-style pastrami is more marbled with fat and has a denser texture."
Does pastrami have more fat than corned beef? ›
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.
What's the difference between smoked meat and pastrami? ›
The use of brisket means that smoked meat is "not fattier throughout the cut, but it has a larger cap of fat, and it has a stringier texture, more fibrous. American-style pastrami is more marbled with fat and has a denser texture."
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.
Why is Katz pastrami so good? ›
Salted meat is denser and slices cleaner than unsalted meat, and the pink curing salt Katz's uses brings a familiar cured twang to the beef. The salt, which is enriched with sodium nitrite, also keeps the meat rosy pink as it cooks; with plain salt your pastrami would turn grey.
What does Katz put on their pastrami sandwich? ›
Here at Katz's, we serve our pastrami on seedless rye bread with a healthy schmear of deli mustard. It's best eaten hot while etc... If this sounds like a lot of work…. well you're right, it is!
Corned beef is typically made from beef brisket – a relatively inexpensive cut of beef – cured in salt brine, with some pickling spices: bay leaf, peppercorns, mustard seed, juniper berries, coriander seeds, and whole cloves. Corned beef gets its characteristic sweet and tart taste from the brine.
What is the difference between corned beef and canned beef? ›
As for the beef itself, canned corned beef is made from tough cuts of meat, like chuck, pot roast, or rump roast. In the non-canned version, this is usually brisket, but with canned beef, this may not always be the case. It's also worth mentioning that the pink curing salt gives the corned beef its pink color.
What is so special about corned beef? ›
Corned beef is made from brisket, a relatively inexpensive cut of beef. The meat goes through a long curing process using large grains of rock salt, or “corns” of salt, and a brine. It's then slowly cooked, turning a tough cut of beef into one that's super tender and flavorful.
What is a beef pastrami sandwich called? ›
Pastrami on rye is a fantastic Jewish deli food and signature sandwich in New York. In fact, it is a staple of several Jewish delis.
Is corned beef smoked as pastrami? ›
Corn beef and pastrami are both made from a brisket that has been soaking in a brine solution with ingredients like mustard seeds, juniper berries and bay leaves. The difference in the two is that corn beef is steamed or braised while pastrami is usually smoked.
What meat is similar to pastrami? ›
When it comes to corned beef versus pastrami, both types of meat originally gained popularity because they're easily preserved. Both meats also look similar and are brined for several days before slicing.
What part of the animal is pastrami? ›
Beef plate is the traditional cut of meat for making pastrami, although it is now common in the United States to see it made from beef brisket, beef round, and turkey. New York pastrami is generally made from beef navel, which is the ventral part of the plate.
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.
