Like corned beef, pastrami is a cured piece of meat that is salted, seasoned with a special dark rub, lightly smoked and steamed after being wrapped and refrigerated for several days. · Real pastrami is made with the section of beef found directly below and above the brisket called the “plate”, which is considered the toughest piece of meat, because it is marbled with fat. After steaming for 2+ hours it gets very tender.

Our exclusive pastrami recipe is a version of what the Jewish butchers brought to the lower east side of New York City in the middle 1800’s. It was popular at first because it was the cheapest cut of meat, called the plate cut. Today getting real pastrami like ours is a rare treat.

If you see pastrami sliced very thin it is almost always “deli” pastrami and does not compare in flavor or texture, and is not a real cut of beef.

Corning is a preservation method using salt and some spices. Pastrami has been corned with salt but then a different mixture of spices are added and the meat is lightly smoked and refrigerated several days before it is steamed, a process adding a lot more flavor. The main spices for “New York style”, also known as “black pastrami”, are coriander, black pepper, ground mustard, garlic and salt.

Corned beef is often made with the brisket, but using the brisket does not work well with pastrami since the spice flavors do not penetrate into the center of the thick brisket pieces of meat.

Sandwiches are the main attraction, usually on light rye (with seeds) or marble rye. The favorite sandwich items are a Traditional Pastrami on Light Rye, a Grilled Rachel (like a Reuben made with pastrami, baby Swiss, coleslaw, and Russian dressing on light rye), a Grilled Reuben (made with our own pickled cabbage, corned beef or pastrami, baby Swiss, and Russian Dressing) and Pastrami Grilled Cheese.

Most people who order a Reuben start by ordering a traditional made with corned beef, but we suggest a pastrami Reuben instead because they have more flavor. We offer to give them a corned beef version if they are not satisfied but nobody who tries a pastrami Reuben has ever taken us up on it.

The founder of Beantown Pastrami Company was originally from Boston but moved to NY City in 1993 to help launch the TV Food Network. While working there several of the food authorities recommended trying pastrami at several of the New York style delis. It was a revelation because he had only ever tasted “deli” pastrami, which is not anything like “real” or traditional pastrami.

Upon returning to live in the Boston area he started a food truck and quickly became one of the first vendors invited to open the Boston Public Market. The booth has been operating daily ever since then, July 31, 2015.

Yes, directly upstairs is the Haymarket Parking garage. The entrance is on Sudbury Street. It is the best parking deal in Boston because you can park any day or time for 3 hours and for just $3, with a validated ticket. Beantown Pastrami or any vendor in the Boston Public Market can validate your ticket with any purchase.