First of all, you need to know what pastrami is, a delicacy with a fascinating history that has become one of the world’s favorite snacks.
Pastrami is lean beef, usually from the brisket, cured in brine to intensify the flavors and preserve the texture; then seasoned with spices, usually black pepper, garlic, coriander, mustard and paprika; and finally smoked slowly , in a process that can take several days until it is just right, with a characteristic taste and irresistible aroma.
The fact that it comes from this part of the animal’s body, which is rich in collagen and fat, helps make the meat tender and with a very special flavor.
Pastrami is usually served in sandwiches, and it was the famous New York sandwich that brought it out of the anonymity of cured meats.
Let’s find out about its origins and where you can eat it in Lisbon.
Where does pastrami come from?
Pastrami is said to have two possible origins, with the best-known version coming from Eastern Europe, Romania and Turkey, when immigrants from these countries brought this way of curing meat to the United States, where it became very popular in the Jewish community.
On the other side of the Atlantic, it gained fame especially in New York in the 1920s, when Romanian immigrants started opening businesses where this meat was sold.
Nowadays, it’s in its sandwich format that we know it best, largely due to the New York delis that sold this type of finer and more “exotic” product, becoming, over the years, a symbol of Jewish-American cuisine.
The best places to try them in Lisbon
Nowadays you can find these meat sandwiches in many places, although in Lisbon there aren’t as many spots as we’d like.
You can find pastrami in its best-known sandwich, the Reuben, in which the meat is usually sliced and served on rye bread with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Mil Ilhas sauce. It’s an explosion of flavors you won’t believe!
In Lisbon, there are three places where you can try this exquisite delicacy:
Quimera Brewpub
This bar-restaurant in Alcântara is located inside a 300-year-old tunnel, which makes your visit even more exciting, especially if you try one of the two versions of the New York-style pastrami sandwich, the NY Deli Sandwich Gourmet:
- Pastrami: Portuguese beef toast cured and braised in beer with black pepper and Portuguese mustard sauce
- Reuben: Portuguese beef toast cured and stewed in beer with cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island sauce (mayonnaise, pickles and spices)
Address: Rua Prior do Crato 6 (Alcântara)
Let’s Pastrami
This is the only store in Lisbon that specializes in this delicacy, and here you can also try some of the best-known cocktails, such as the Bloody Mary or the Caipirinha.
Among the pastrami on offer, we’d like to highlight the four pastrami sandwiches:
- Let’s: pastrami with sour cream, horseradish and barbecue pickles (12€)
- Ruben: pastrami with Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut and cheese
- Kimchi Ruben: pastrami with Thousand Island dressing, kimchi, sauerkraut and cheese
- Rachel: turkey pastrami, Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut or cabbage, and cheese
Address: Rua Poiais de São Bento 20 (Calçada do Combro)
Comida Independente
At Comida Independente, a food store and wine bar in Santos, you’ll find a pastrami sandwich on brioche bread where the meat is completely processed by this house, going through a process of salting, infusion of spices and smoking for a total of 10 days.
Address: Rua Cais do Tojo 28 (Cais do Sodré)
On the waiting list
Bibs
Now that you know what pastrami is, take your friends or family to try this centuries-old delicacy at one of these places in Lisbon. We’re sure you’ll love it!