Pastrami on rye is asandwich comprising slicedpastrami onrye bread, often served with mustard andKosher dill pickles. It was popularized in theJewish delicatessens of New York City and has been described as New York's "signature sandwich". It was created in 1888 by the Lithuanian immigrant Sussman Volk, who served it at his deli onDelancey Street inManhattan.
Pastrami on rye, served with the classic accoutrements of spicy brown mustard andKosher dill pickles.
Sussman Volk emigrated from Lithuania in the late 1800s and opened a small butchershop on New York'sLower East Side. He befriended another immigrant, from Romania, whom he allowed to store meat in his large icebox. In exchange, the friend gave the recipe forpastrami to Volk, who began to serve it to his customers. It proved so popular that, in 1888, Volk opened a delicatessen at 88Delancey Street, one of the first delis in New York City, where he served the pastrami onrye bread.[1]
The pastrami on rye became a favorite at other delis, topped with spicy brown mustard.[2] Delis in New York City, such asKatz's Delicatessen, have become known for their pastrami on rye sandwiches.[3][4] In her review of a book on Katz's,[5]Florence Fabricant, the food critic for theNew York Times, described the volume "as overstuffed as Katz's pastrami on rye".[6]
The pastrami on rye sandwich is a symbol of the classic New York Jewish deli,[7][8][9][10] featured in delis around the world attempting to recreate the ambience of the original New York delis, in cities such as Los Angeles,[7] Buenos Aires,[11]Boca Raton, Florida,[12] andSan Diego, California.[13] The classic, which theWall Street Journal called New York's "signature sandwich", consists simply of sliced pastrami, placed on rye bread, and topped with spicy brown mustard.[14] It is usually accompanied by a Kosher dill pickle.[15]
Corned beef and pastrami on rye may be prepared using rye bread, pastrami, corned beef, cole slaw, and Russian dressing. Preparation involves placing both meats on a slice of rye bread and topping it withcoleslaw. Russian dressing may be added to the top slice of bread.[23]
Pastrami, lettuce, and tomato (PLT) may be prepared using two slices of toasted sourdough bread, mayonnaise, pastrami, lettuce, tomato slices. Preparation involves placing the pastrami on a toasted slice of sourdough bread and topping it with the lettuce and tomato slices. Mayonnaise may be spread on the second slice of sourdough, and placed on top of the sandwich.[24]
Delicatessen establishments inMontreal offer a similar sandwich with rye bread and mustard, although withMontreal-style smoked meat instead of pastrami.[25]
^Note: "Old Man Kravitz, a shameless self-promoter ... Throughout the years Ben claimed that he introduced the smoked meat sandwich to Montreal. But it is a well-known fact that the British-American Delicatessen Store had been dispensing quality smoked meat sandwiches for a period of four years prior to the establishment of Fanny's Fruit and Candy Store. Old Man Kravitz also implied that he introduced smoked meat to Montreal, but we know that is a pile of baloney". Eiran Harris,Montreal-Style Smoked Meat: An interview with Eiran Harris conducted by Lara Rabinovitch, with the cooperation of the Jewish Public Library Archives of Montreal,Cuizine: The Journal of Canadian Food Cultures: Volume 1, numéro 2, 2009.
