NYC Deli Style Pastrami, Rocket & Mustard Sandwich

Good morning my friends and HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Let’s make some NYC Deli Style Pastrami, Rocket and Mustard sandwiches to help us over that mid week hump.
 
Now, I would like to preface by saying that I have never been to New York, and have therefore never tried a legit NYC Deli style pastrami sandwich.


 

 
HOWEVER: This is no good reason to shy away from attempting to make my own delicious version, right? As our ancient Chinese friend Lao Tzu once said: “The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”
 
…Hmm. No, I’m not entirely sure what that has to do with this sandwich either.
 
I just really love quotes.
 
How about this one? “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
 
…Pablo Picasso, ladies and gents. And I think this, whether Picasso intended it or not, is extremely relevant to cooking. Cooking is all about experimenting; trying new things; getting it wrong, learning and trying again. By extension, having a food blog is an excellent way to challenge your cookery skills. The fear of putting out sub standard recipes is what drives you to be more imaginative, put together cleverer combinations and think outside of the box.
 

 

 
What I’m trying to get at here -not very articulately, I fear- is that never having done something before shouldn’t hold you back from giving it a try. Because we all start somewhere. And never making your own NYC Deli Style sandwich would be a sincerely shameful loss.
 
So here is my personal interpretation of the NYC Deli Style Sandwich. In true Fuelling The Fork fashion, I’ve made some healthy swaps. Of course, there would be no harm in treating yourself to the original every once in a blue moon. Like I’ve said before, moderation- not deprivation. However, if, like me, you want to enjoy this glory on a more regular basis, it’s a good idea to lighten it up somewhat. It still uses most of the classic ingredients and is still absolutely delicious, just… healthier! I mean, what could be better??
 

 
My first healthy swap was the bread. I’ve used my all time favourite for this recipe, which is the Pumpernickel Rye bread from Biona organics. IT. IS. AWESOME. No- it’s not the same as traditional bread. It’s not thick and fluffy and doughy. IT’S BETTER. It has a unique and moreish flavour- sort of sharp, tangy and slightly sour. Absolutely perfect as a companion to the smoky pastrami, sweet pickles and spicy mustard.
 

 
In case you were wondering, here’s a fun fact about the genesis of pastrami, courtesy of our good friend Wikipedia: “New York’s Sussman Volk is generally credited with producing the first pastrami sandwich in the US in 1887. Volk, a kosher butcher and New York immigrant from Lithuania, claimed he got the recipe from a Romanian friend in exchange for storing the friend’s luggage while the friend returned to Romania. (…) he prepared pastrami according to the recipe and served it on sandwiches out of his butcher shop. The sandwich was so popular that Volk converted the butcher shop into a restaurant to sell pastrami sandwiches.”
 
I love reading about random stuff like this. I suspect it comes down to years of sulkily watching ‘How It’s Made’ on television with my dad when all I really wanted to do was watch the latest American teen drama. Looks like I caught the inquisitive bug after all and manifested it into an obsession with food- but it could be worse, I suppose. I could be in my twenties and still spending my free time watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians. (and I definitely don’t do that anymore. Nope…)
 

 
Where were we? I was telling you about my healthy swaps. So the last thing I did was take out the swiss cheese. Let me tell you, I used to LOVE cheese. But my boyfriend kinda hates it. Or most cheeses, anyway. And you know how you take on the food likes and dislikes of the people you live with? Well, I’ve just kind of stopped eating cheese, and I don’t even miss it. In fact, I feel better for it. So I definitely don’t think this NYC Deli style sandwich is missing out.
 
Ok, so what do we end up with? We’ve got pumpernickel rye, spicy english mustard, sweet pickled gherkins, smoky pastrami and a whole heaping of lovely fresh green rocket.
 
I’ve made this into an open sandwich, too. Honestly, the extra bread just isn’t needed. A cheeky bonus is that it makes this much lower carb, which is great if you’re watching your intake. I suppose, all things considered, you could say this is like a hybrid between a Danish Smørrebrød and a NYC deli style sandwich. Just call me Mrs inter-continental.
 
And there you have it, guys! A delicious twist on the NYC Deli Style Sandwich, perfect for a light summer lunch.
 

 
Get at it! 😉

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