Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Pastrami News

VivreManger
 Share

Recommended Posts

Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

Levine's failure to mention Montreal smoked meat (someone double check this -- maybe there was a sidebar I missed in the online version? I hope so!) is puzzling.

Regarding Katz's pastrami supplier, I've posted several times here on eGullet that the owners of the Real New York Deli company (P.O. Box 1427, Albany, NY 12201, http://buypastrami.com/ ) have told me that they make the pastrami for Katz's. Whether or not their claim is true, it would at least be a lead worth pursuing.

Also, when did the conventional wisdom become that pastrami equals plate? Is there not plenty of pastrami made from brisket?

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SteveW

SteveW

Posted
Posted (edited)

Very interesting that writer Ed Levine's favorite pastrami sandwich in his eight week search was Ben's Best. This NYC deli to my knowledge has never been mentioned at eGullet(or anywhere else for that matter) as having a great pastrami sandwich. Katz's is generally acknowledged to having the best. The Katz's co-owners seemed to have lied to Ed, regarding who makes their pastrami. I think Steven Shaw, mentioned here several times the maker of Katz's pastrami(somewhere in upstate NY). Ed mentions it's not only the quality of the meat that makes the difference to get a great pastrami, but also how it is treated after it arrives at the delicatessen. The owner of Ben's Best, says they steam their pastrami for up to 6 six hours before being trimmed & sliced to order. That surprises me. I've heard a figure of around 2-3 hours, at the best smoked meat delis in Montreal.

---------

Steve

(now I see the Steven Shaw posting, after posting mine)

Edited by SteveW (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
SteveW

SteveW

Posted
Posted (edited)
Levine's failure to mention Montreal smoked meat (someone double check this -- maybe there was a sidebar I missed in the online version? I hope so!) is puzzling.

Regarding Katz's pastrami supplier, I've posted several times here on eGullet that the owners of the Real New York Deli company (P.O. Box 1427, Albany, NY 12201, http://buypastrami.com/ ) have told me that they make the pastrami for Katz's. Whether or not their claim is true, it would at least be a lead worth pursuing.

Also, when did the conventional wisdom become that pastrami equals plate? Is there not plenty of pastrami made from brisket?

Montreal smoked meat, is not mentioned anywhere in Ed's story(including the side story & audio slide show online). Steven do you really think, he needs to mention Montreal smoked meat in the story(I don't think it's a major omission)? If I did the story I would, but I'm from Montreal.

-----------

Steve

Edited by SteveW (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
=Mark

=Mark

Posted
Posted

No, but I don't think they've done any stories about Himalayan smoked Yak either... :hmmm:

=Mark

Give a man a fish, he eats for a Day.

Teach a man to fish, he eats for Life.

Teach a man to sell fish, he eats Steak

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jhlurie

jhlurie

Posted
Posted
No, but I don't think they've done any stories about Himalayan smoked Yak either...  :hmmm:

True, but Montreal smoked meat is something that reasonably accessible to someone living one state/province-line away. If someone was a connoisseur of smoked meat, its reasonable to assume they'd seek out the Montreal variety, unless they are one of those life-long Manhattanite types who swear that they'll never leave the borough.

Jon Lurie, aka "jhlurie"

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

SteveW, did he say Ben's was his favorite? I thought Katz's was at the top of the list.

I've never been to Ben's -- I hope it's a great Levine discovery. I imagine lots of folks will be checking it out soon!

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bigbear

bigbear

Posted
Posted

Years ago, I used to go to Ben's instead of Pastrami King. There was another deli that was also better than PK, named Dave & Ed, I think. It was around the corner from Ben's and up 63rd Drive a block or two. I think it's long gone.... Ah, memories.

-- Jeff

"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members." -- Groucho Marx

Link to comment
Share on other sites
afoodnut

afoodnut

Posted
Posted (edited)
Yea, he said Ben's was his favourite.

Can you provide a quote?

:cool:

I found incredible pastrami, however, at Ben's Best, founded in 1945 on Queens Boulevard in Rego Park; the restaurant has no connection to the Ben's Deli chain of delicatessens. The Ben's Best pastrami seemed to hark back to an era of darker, more aggressively spiced, small-batch pastrami — the one served at a legendary old Queens deli, now closed, called Pastrami King. Ben's Best pastrami is peppery and soulful. It has a winey, crimson color. It is absolutely delicious.

I'm not pixelchef, and I can't say Levine said it was his *favorite* but I can say it's the only one Levine describes as incredible. :laugh::biggrin:

Edited by afoodnut (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

I'm looking at his list of favorite pastrami sandwiches, and the order in which he lists them is:

Katz's

Ben's Best

Second Avenue Deli

Mill Basin Deli

Carnegie Deli

Artie's

http://nytimes.com/2003/04/30/dining/30PSID.html

In terms of whether or not he should have discussed Montreal smoked meat, I don't think you have to mention it as a rule when you write about pastrami, but if you're going to say this . . .

"Let's get one thing straight. New York is the pastrami capital of the world. There can be no battle for hemispheric pastrami supremacy. When it comes to pastrami, New York is the beginning, and the end."

. . . I think it's odd not to give it even a passing mention.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

He mentions Langer's in LA, which makes the omission of Montreal even more puzzling. I don't know of any reputedly great pastrami places in Chicago, but it wouldn't surprise me to find something tasty there.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
marcus

marcus

Posted
Posted

Ed Levine has zero credibility with me. He's the guy that wrote that hyper enthusisastic article about the gelato at that place down on 4th Avenue, which was totally mediocre, and rather than being made from scratch is actually made from commercial ellenka base. When I started questioning them about how their gelato was really made, the guy at the counter who appeared to be an owner, became quite upset and wouldn't continue the discussion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted

He has a large credibility reserve built up with me, which has been somewhat eroded by the big Times pieces on burgers and pastrami. Of course, it's easy to nitpick from the sidelines, and I don't know what constraints of time, word count, budget, and editing he was working within. But when you open an article with a claim regarding a months-long, exhaustive research project, you certainly open yourself up to criticism on account of omissions.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fat Guy

Fat Guy

Posted
Posted
Well I do appreciate your "nitpick" characterization.

I was speaking of my own comments, not yours -- you haven't said anything that could be characterized as a nitpick.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
=Mark

=Mark

Posted
Posted
No, but I don't think they've done any stories about Himalayan smoked Yak either...  :hmmm:

True, but Montreal smoked meat is something that reasonably accessible to someone living one state/province-line away. If someone was a connoisseur of smoked meat, its reasonable to assume they'd seek out the Montreal variety, unless they are one of those life-long Manhattanite types who swear that they'll never leave the borough.

Maybe, but the focus of the article is on New York Pastrami. I don't see a valid reason for questioning why product from outside of NYC is not discussed.

=Mark

Give a man a fish, he eats for a Day.

Teach a man to fish, he eats for Life.

Teach a man to sell fish, he eats Steak

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SteveW

SteveW

Posted
Posted

My comment of great pastrami in Chicago, I was mainly thinking of Manny's. Saveur magazine put them in their latest Saveur 100 list, as having "among the best pastrami anywhere."

-----------

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...