When you think of pastrami or corned beef, you likely envision colossal Reuben sandwiches from your favorite deli, savory brunch dishes and heirloom family meals like corned beef and cabbage. But is there a difference between pastrami vs. corned beef?
Both are cured with salt and spices, though there are some subtle differences between pastrami and corned beef that make each one ideal for certain meals.
What Is Pastrami?
Traditional pastrami is made with the naval end of the beef brisket. This portion has a high fat content, which adds a ton of flavor and keeps the beef juicy and moist during its long cooking time.
Making pastrami is a lengthy process, but it’s worth the effort. First, a curing brine is made with salt, sugar, pink salt (a salt containing sodium nitrite to keep the meat pink as it cooks) and other spices. After three to five days (depending on the thickness), the meat is removed from the brine, rinsed well under cold water and patted dry. It’s best to let the cured meat rest, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight to help the smoke adhere to the surface.
Finally, the pastrami is coated with coarsely ground black peppercorns and coriander before it’s smoked at 225°F. Then it’s transferred to a roasting pan with a rack, where water is added to the pan to create steam and the pan is wrapped tightly in foil. The pastrami will cook until it’s heated through and ready to serve.
This process isn’t something that most home cooks will tackle; fortunately, famous New York institutions like Katz’s Deli will ship pastrami anywhere in the United States.
Where Did Pastrami Come From?
It’s easy to think that pastrami comes from New York, where Jewish delis have been serving it up since the 1900s. However, pastrami’s roots extend far past America. Pastrami has two possible points of origin: It’s either Romanian (where its predecessor, pastrama, was made with pork or mutton) or Turkish (where it’d be a descendant of pastirma, made with beef).
The recipes migrated to New York, where immigrants started using beef brisket because it was an inexpensive and readily available cut.
How to Serve Pastrami
Pastrami is typically sliced thick and piled high on sandwiches, like those at Katz’s Deli. We also love using it in nontraditional recipes, like rolling it in puff pastry to make Reuben stromboli, folding it in tortillas for tacos or tossing it with potatoes for breakfast hash. Pastrami works well in most recipes that call for bacon because of its salty, smoky flavor.
Because pastrami is fattier than corned beef, we don’t recommend serving it cold. You really need heat to melt fat and add to the overall flavor!
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For a book club event, I created pastrami roll-ups with cream cheese and a pickle. Those tasty bites quickly pulled a disappearing act. —Merritt Heinrich, Oswego, Illinois
Hash is a classic diner dish. With potatoes and pastrami, this one's easy to make at home. The beets give it fabulous color and flavor. —Nancy Mock, Colchester, Vermont
My husband is a firefighter, so I make easy meals I can deliver to him. He likes pastrami, but ham or roast beef also work for hoagies. —Deanna Eads, Kingman, AZ
Meat lovers won't be able to resist my antipasto-inspired salad that eats like a meal. Just add bread and dipping oil. —Melissa Jelinek, Apple Valley, Minnesota
Amy Smith from Avon, Connecticut, shared her layered Reuben salad with us, and we couldn’t resist making it extra portable. Get ready to be asked for the recipe. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
This peerless pastrami sandwich was adapted from a menu favorite at Primanti Bros. Restaurant in Pittsburgh. We took the basic ingredients—grilled cold cuts, cheese, fried potatoes and tomatoes—and created a tasty replica that includes our version of their secret coleslaw topping. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Corned beef is made by curing brisket, usually the leaner flat cut. It has just enough fat to keep it moist while cooking, but the end result is a little drier than pastrami. To help break down the tough muscle proteins in the brisket, corned beef is brined with the same cure as pastrami (salt, sugar, pink salt and spices). Unlike pastrami, corned beef is boiled or steamed instead of smoked, which pulls out some of the salt from the brine.
It’s easy to make Homemade Corned Beef, which allows you to control the ingredients as well as the sodium content. That said, you’ll find premade corned beef at almost every grocery store around St. Patrick’s Day. If you’re planning to boil it yourself, make sure you don’t accidentally purchase ready-to-eat corned beef, which is cured, cooked and sometimes sliced.
Where Did Corned Beef Come From?
Ireland was a major producer of salted meat going back to the Middle Ages, but it’s said that the English coined the term “corned beef” in the 1700s to describe the size of the salt crystals used to cure the meat (they were as big as corn kernels). It’s associated with St. Patrick’s Day, but not for the reason you’d think.
When Irish immigrants arrived in America, the salt pork and bacon they were accustomed to eating were expensive luxury items, so they adopted its nearest relative: corned beef. That’s why people eat corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day.
How to Serve Corned Beef
It’s most commonly enjoyed as corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day when it’s served with simmered carrots and potatoes. It’s also delightful when thinly sliced, topped with Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut and sandwiched between slices of rye bread to make a Reuben sandwich. Because it’s made with a leaner cut of brisket, leftover corned beef is tasty whether it’s served cold or hot.
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Sunday breakfasts have always been special in our house. It's fun to get in the kitchen and cook with the kids. No matter how many new recipes we try, they always rate this corned beef hash recipe No. 1! —Rick Skildum, Maple Grove, Minnesota Go to Recipe
I love this quick-to-fix, layered Reuben stromboli. I used another sandwich recipe as a guide but made it with Reuben fixings. Switch things up by using sliced turkey and coleslaw instead of corned beef and sauerkraut. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas
This is one of my favorite leftover corned beef recipes. It's great for the days after St. Patrick's Day, or the celebration itself. This Reuben casserole features corned beef, sauerkraut and other ingredients that make Reuben sandwiches so popular. —Margery Bryan, Royal City, Washington
I’m a big fan of Reuben sandwiches and anything with that flavor combination. For an appetizer, I blend corned beef with Swiss and a few other items to make a spread for rye bread or crackers. —June Herke, Watertown, South Dakota
This suppertime pie has all the yummies: homemade crust, seasoned potatoes, and lots and lots of corned beef and cheese. How could you not fall in love with it? I know we have. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
You don't have to wait until St. Patrick's Day to enjoy this easy Reuben appetizer. Deli meat and cheese make it doable year-round. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
Using leftover corned beef in new and exciting ways is my personal cooking challenge. These fun tacos take my favorite Reuben ingredients and turn them into something totally different—and completely delicious. —Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas
Who knew there was such a thing as healthy corned beef hash?! Loaded with red potatoes and deli corned beef, our lightened-up version of corned beef hash delivers fresh flavors and a dose of fiber. It's so spot on, you'll swear you're in a diner. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
If you're wondering what to make with corned beef, look no further. It's wonderful for brunch, lunch or supper, or as a potluck meal. —Mary Louise Lever, Rome, Georgia
I love Reubens, so I turned the classic sandwich into a fun appetizer with corned beef and sauerkraut on waffle fries. It's one of my best leftover corned beef recipes. —Gloria Bradley, Naperville, Illinois
Our Aunt Renee always brought this leftover corned beef casserole to family picnics in Chicago. It became so popular that she started bringing two or three. I have also made it using dark rye bread or marbled rye, and ham instead of corned beef—all the variations are delicious! —Johnna Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona
My daughter shared this recipe with me for a hearty spread that tastes just like a Reuben sandwich. Serve it from a slow cooker set to warm so the dip stays at its most tasty temperature. —Rosalie Fuchs, Paynesville, Minnesota
Fridays are pizza nights at our house. We do a lot of experimenting, so we don't have the same, old thing every week. With only five ingredients, this Reuben pizza is a snap to whip up, and it tastes just like a Reuben sandwich. —Nicole German, Hutchinson, Minnesota
I created this when I wanted something different for a graduation brunch for two of our sons. When I realized I had most of the ingredients on hand for the Reuben dip I usually make, I decided to use them in a brunch casserole instead! Everyone asked for the recipe. —Janelle Reed, Merriam, Kansas
I created my leftover corned beef hash to taste like a dish from a northern Arizona restaurant we always loved. We round it out with eggs and toast made from homemade bread. —Denise Chelpka, Phoenix, Arizona
This slow-cooked spread tastes just like the popular Reuben sandwich. Even when I double the recipe, I end up with an empty dish. It's an excellent leftover corned beef recipe, too. —Mary Jane Kimmes, Hastings, Minnesota
I was having trouble figuring out what to make with corned beef after St. Patrick's Day. So, I tried a spin on traditional pea soup, with this split pea soup recipe with corned beef. The flavor is peppery rather than smoky, and a tasty change of pace. —Barbara Link, Alta Loma, California
I love a good Reuben sandwich and thought, “Why not make it into a pizza?” It's got extra cheesy goodness in the sauce, and smells wonderful coming out of the oven. —Tracy Miller, Wakeman, Ohio
I love a Reuben sandwich, so I tried the fillings in a pizza pocket instead of on rye bread. This hand-held dinner is a big winner at our house. —Nickie Frye, Evansville, Indiana
My Nebraska-native husband loves Reuben sandwiches and anything with chicken, so I combined his two favorites in a fun roll-up. —Ashli Kottwitz, Hermitage, Tennessee
When I need a leftover corned beef recipe, I turn to this melt. This twist on a classic Reuben keeps the corned beef and uses a sauce made with Swiss (and plenty of thousand-island flavor). Fresh slaw on top replaces the sauerkraut. —Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
New Yorkers say my Reubens taste like those served in the famous delis there. For a little less kick, you can leave out the horseradish. —Patricia Kile, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Fans of the classic Reuben sandwich will go crazy for baked pastry spirals of corned beef, Swiss and sauerkraut. They're so easy to make, and bottled Thousand Island dressing makes the perfect dipping sauce. —Cheryl Snavely, Hagerstown, Maryland
You'll need only five ingredients to stir up this hearty dip that tastes like a Reuben sandwich. It's requested at all the gatherings we attend. —Pam Rohr, Troy, Ohio
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. They have a similar flavor profile, but pastrami is a little richer with a smoke-forward flavor while corned beef is leaner and drier (but not in a bad way). You can use them interchangeably in most recipes—however, we prefer pastrami when it’s served warm.
