Similar to clothes, shoes, and household items, food items also have fluctuating prices. Food prices may depend on certain ingredients’ supply, availability, and quality. Pastrami lovers often wonder why their favorite food is too expensive to enjoy more frequently. Even though no one can really put a price tag on a heaping, flavorful, and hot pile of pastrami in a rye bread sandwich, it’s common to be overwhelmed by pastrami costs if you’re working with a limited budget. If you order pastrami sandwiches regularly, it can put a strain on your overall budget, especially if you visit hot spots like Pastrami Queen or Katz’s Delicatessen. Nevertheless, what exactly makes this delicious, brined beef so shockingly expensive? Let’s find out.
Why Are Pastrami Sandwiches So Expensive?
There are several factors at play that affect the overall cost of the beloved pastrami sandwich. We have listed some of the most common reasons below:
1. Uncontrollable External Factors
New York City’s delicatessens are famous all over the world for their juicy, fresh, and spicy pastrami sandwiches. Nevertheless, tourists often find the high prices of these sandwiches off-putting and disappointing when they visit famous delicatessens.
Although the recipes have been the same for years at NYC’s decades-old delis, the prices have soared due to uncontrollable external factors.
As the country suffered from economic depression, recession, demand and supply inconsistencies, climate conditions, and lack of quality products readily available, the prices of various food items rose as well.
For example, a drought in 2014 resulted in cattle shortages, and the costs of pastrami rose in that period drastically.
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2. Meat Curing Process
Pastrami is originally a Romanian dish, most commonly made from beef brisket in the USA. It can be made using lamb and turkey; however, the public highly prefers beef’s fattiness and umami flavor.
Another reason pastrami costs are so high is that the meat goes through multiple preparation processes as compared to a simple beef steak.
The pastrami is first brined in salty water containing several spices and other aromatics. This step helps the meat absorb moisture and salt content and transform its overall texture and flavor.
After the brining process, the meat is dried and cured with a spice rub consisting of various herbs and spices. This step helps the meat develop more complex flavors.
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3. Smoking and Steaming Pastrami
The brining and curing process can be done easily at home by well-experienced home chefs; however, the smoking and steaming steps for making pastrami are best left to the experts.
After the meat has been seasoned, it is smoked slowly to give it a deeper flavor and charred exterior. The smoking process involves setting up a large smoker, choosing the right type of smoking wood, and overseeing this step to ensure the meat cooks perfectly.
This step involves waiting patiently for hours and extensive smoking expertise only some possess.
The final step is the steaming process which helps the remaining meat fibers to break down and give the meat a moist and soft texture.
Since this is the last stage of the process, it is quite a sensitive step that inexperienced chefs and home cooks might fail.
Considering the expertise and effort involved in smoking and steaming the meat, many people would agree that the high price of pastrami is justified.
However, the decision is up to you and your tastebuds to see if the pastrami you purchase is really worth its high price tag.
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KATZ’S DELI New York City – Is It Overpriced & Overrated?
Katz’s Deli is famous for its corned beef and pastrami sandwiches and the iconic scene from When Harry Met Sally. To test the hype, we went to review Katz’s Delicatessen and their famous pastrami sandwich.
Summary
Pastrami is a delicious type of deli meat that tastes great when paired with rye bread, pickles, and mustard. Nevertheless, enjoying pastrami sandwiches regularly can be challenging on a limited budget due to their high cost. Many people wonder if pastrami sandwiches are rightfully expensive or just a way for decade-old establishments to capitalize on their fame.
However, the lengthy, laborious, and time-consuming process of making pastrami makes the high price tag seem fair. This is because pastrami is first brined extensively in a salty mixture, cured with a dry spice rub, smoked carefully by experts, and steamed to reintroduce moisture into the meat. Nevertheless, you need to try a premium quality pastrami sandwich yourself to check if it’s worth the cost.
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My name is Jay and I started this website to share my love of Deli Food. I am Jewish with Italian ancestry and grandparents who emigrated to the US from Poland, Russia and Turkey. This website is my celebration of the delicious flavors of international deli culture. Please feel free to send me your suggestions and feedback through the contact form.
