This is your best guide to Pastrami and corn beef. It shows you the best recipe you can combine with both to have a delicious meal. By the end of this article, you would be able to know which best suits your tummy’s needs.
More importantly, you would be able to make the right decision on purchasing excellent quality beef when you get to the store.
Food can be amusing. Sometimes, they are very familiar in taste. Other times, they become so mystical that we don’t understand them at all. Or perhaps, we are the ones that are actually funny and mysterious.
Have you ever thought about the food you eat, or you are just the foodie that only cares for his stomach? Have you ever sat quietly and reflected on the composition of a particular food that makes it different from others?
Cow meat: Corned Beef vs Pastrami
Such inquiry has led us to contrast two major foods you, and I love. The Pastrami and the corned beef. We have eaten both since day one. In fact, we eat corn beef on Saint Patrick’s day. But what are these meaty really are?
If we did some poetic justice to it, Pastrami and corn beef require we travel back in time to when our early fathers first dissected cows, and their flesh was considered a delicacy. Though these two slices of meat are gotten from cows, they have different compositions and are prepared differently.
Both slices of meat are cut in practically the same area in a cow; corned beef is the brisket area while Pastrami is cut from the navel, slightly close to the brisket on the abdominal section of the cow.
Both slices of meat are cured with a saltwater solution. In other cases, this saltwater solution (brine) can be seasoned with spice. While corned beef is cooked by first boiling, the Pastrami is smoked entirely.
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A little history of Pastrami and Corned Beef
Many claim the corned beef originated from Ireland’s since it is a token for the celebration of Saint Patrick’s day in America. But the truth is; Corned beef is actually a property of the Jews.
The Irish people learned to make it from the Jews when they migrated to America. Saint Patrick’s Day was originally celebrated with Bacon and cabbage, not beef and cabbage.
Because beef was considered very much cheap compared to Bacon, they were replaced. And we more about our bellies than what we eat, no one ever bothered to make inquiries.
It’s funny how many even think Pastrami and corned beef are the same. That’s ridiculous, isn’t it? It actually is.
Though they look very similar and even have the same salting process yet, even little kids can differentiate between the two. Corn beef had its name from the rock salts that are used to treat the meat before cooking.
Actually, it was corned beef that was used in making Pastrami. These days, however, things have changed a lot. Pastrami can now be prepared from beef brisket and even salmon.
Don’t get confused when you come across turkey pastrami, lox or even chicken Pastrami. It only refers to various spices that are used to flavor a Pastrami to make it tastier.
Spices may include; pepper, salt, sugar, garlic and so on. After spices, you can go ahead, mix with vegetables, chicken, potatoes, turkey, pork and whatever you wish.
Serving Pastrami vs Corned Beef
There are no ways of serving Pastrami. It is how creative you can go with your culinary skills. Most times, you will find Pastrami served with a sandwich. Most times in its most basic version, it is served with rye.
Out of the several ways of serving corned beef, the most popular is serving with a sandwich. This is called the traditional corned beef.
When some slice of rye bread is overlaid with salted pieces of the meat. It may be served hot or cold. But serving hot is more preferred. An alternative to this is the Mustard.
This is when Swiss cheese, black rye, and sauerkraut are used as a spice. Although the Mustard is optional, it still doesn’t change anything.
The last type of corn beef is those you see served with potatoes and cabbage-like the ones served on Saint Patrick’s day.
Thank the unlimited information that floats the net. No one needs years of kitchen tutorials to make a delicious corned beef or pastrami meal. All you need is to follow some simple set of cooking instructions which are littered all over the internet.
Curing
Maybe we have mentioned that both Pastrami and Corned beef have to be cured before they are eaten and we haven’t told you why. The idea is practical to extend the longevity of the meat.
Decades ago, no one kills a big cow unless there is a big celebration, and there are lots of people to feed. After beef has been extracted from the cow, they will need to be preserved to prevent bacterial accumulation.
The most logical thing to do was to salt the meat. Salting was the most effective method of preservation at that period. They were no refrigerators or microwaves then.
After salting, the meat may last longer than usual, going up to ten days without rotting.
Final verdict
Though we would assume corned beef to be better on a personal level, we saw some posts online about which is better. For now, all we can say is that the competition is a tie. With many people even professing that they love both chops dearly. You may also taste different varieties of each meat with lots of spices to see which is more delicious. You may vary their taste by trying them out with different chops. See for yourself which you love best.
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