Katz's Pastrami
A peek behind the scenes of our most legendary deli meat
If you ask a New Yorker what to order from Katz's, chances are you'll get one answer: a pastrami sandwich. But what is pastrami, exactly? And why did we get so world renowned for this specific type of sandwich? Read on for an inside peek at our most famous deli meat — or just watch the video below.
The Process
We make our pastrami in-house, from scratch — we never use a third-party brand like Boar's Head or Hillshire Farms. And we always start with the navel cut: a tough, hard-to-cook piece from the underbelly of the cow that rewards patience with a rich, complex flavor and texture.
The Brine
We begin by submerging the navel in a saltwater brine packed with spices. This infuses the meat with flavor and gives pastrami its distinctive pink color, even when fully cooked. The meat stays in the brine for weeks, slowly absorbing flavor.
The Rub
Next, our team drains the brine and rubs each piece of meat with a blend of traditional Old World spices. This gives pastrami the dark, spiced "bark" you see on the outside of every piece.
The Smoke
After each piece is rubbed, the meat is slowly smoked for hours in our customized house smokers. The proteins and fats cook down and render, soaking up that smoky flavor. Now the navel has officially become Katz's pastrami.
The Cook
But we're not done yet. Next, our pastrami is boiled for 2–3 hours, which further tenderizes the meat and sheds any excess salt from the brine. It's then held in steam tables at our counters until it's ready to be carved — by now, it's so tender it almost jiggles when touched.
The Carve
Once at the counter, our master carvers slice every piece of pastrami into our legendary sandwiches, carved to order. When they're not busy with sandwiches, they're slicing pounds of pastrami to ship nationwide through Katz's shipping program.
The Finished Product
At long last — a pastrami sandwich is born. We serve ours on seedless rye with a healthy schmear of deli mustard, best eaten hot. If this sounds like a lot of work, well, you're right — it is. And every single piece of Katz's pastrami has been made exactly this way for five generations and counting.
Craving the real thing?
Get Katz's pastrami shipped nationwide, or order ahead for pickup and local delivery.