Katz Deli NYC

[240Geezer]

I've had many many sandwiches from Katz's, but I pretty much gave up on them because unless you go at a really weird time it takes forever and a half. Eating in the restaurant cuts the annoyance some but a lot of the waitstaff are really clueless. The guys actually slicing the meat still know what they're doing though.

Overall I think the meat is still good but everything else about the operation seems built to fleece tourists instead of feed people. Mail-order meat sounds like a good way around that.

That said, the pastrami at Michael's Deli in Brookline is pretty damn good too. I stopped bothering with Katz's at all when I found them, despite that I love pastrami and given family it's often a very convenient stop.

Also, the pastrami at Up In Smoke in Rockland Maine may be better than both. Someday I want to get a plate of their meat and put it head-to-head against Michael's and Katz's.

Now I need to go to Rockland Maine. Pastrami for lunch and lobster for dinner. Perfect.

 

[amb]

Now I need to go to Rockland Maine. Pastrami for lunch and lobster for dinner. Perfect.

Check the hours before you go, currently it's only Saturdays, 11-9 maybe? Live music in the evening and busy AF. Their brisket and pastrami are both top-notch imho. Also good jerk chicken. Makes up a little for Beale St. in Bath closing, they were iffy in some areas but their brisket was super-awesome.

 

[ralphs]

Vernon is only 45 minutes from my home. Thanks for the tip. I'll be taking a ride this weekend.

Make sure you have room to bring home a quart (or bucket) of their pickles.

 

[Christian]

Fast food joints? You guys know you can hit up a decent sub shop and get better quality food for less scratch right?

Son of a bitch, now I want a Jersey Mikes #55.

 

[whatluck]

for $36 I can make 9 burgers and have money left over for bourbon

 

[bigbravehog]

View attachment 645438

1609 calories ??. That's supposed to be my whole days intake !!

 

[bigbravehog]

for $36 I can make 9 burgers and have money left over for bourbon

we do that a LOT, minus the bourbon.

 

[PaulR]

By the time I find places like this I am 10-15 years too late, the place is under new ownership, it's all commercialized, overpriced and the quality is long gone.

Mike's Pastry I think is probably the biggest example of this.

 

[Christian]

Fast food joints? You guys know you can hit up a decent sub shop and get better quality food for less scratch right?

Son of a bitch, now I want a Jersey Mikes #55.

Screw it, those jalapenos were calling to me. Gotta go pick it up now.

I'm fat.

 

[bigbravehog]

By the time I find places like this I am 10-15 years too late, the place is under new ownership, it's all commercialized, overpriced and the quality is long gone.

Mike's Pastry I think is probably the biggest example of this.

you hit it on the nail. There is a Mikes Pastry in my building in Somerville, and its overpriced and underwhelming. I go to Gerardo's in Worcester for my Italian Bakery

 

[FalArAk]

Fast food joints? You guys know you can hit up a decent sub shop and get better quality food for less scratch right?

Son of a bitch, now I want a Jersey Mikes #55.

Fast food or Greek owned sub shops all with same menu and same food supplier...

Im making scrambled eggs with bacon faced with that choice lol

 

[Skysoldier]

It's always been crazy-expensive. I recall going to the Stage in the. . . . 90's. That was crazy expensive even for the serious amount of meat on the corned beef on rye. But damn I didn't go back for seconds for sure.

Same here. But I could see myself putting on about 4# of water weight with all of the salt in that pastrami.

I've made my own. Dried it out too much. Should have wrapped it. Some day, I'll do up a smaller flat along with a whole packer and make some pastrami.


Want to know something awful - and you guys over 50 can probably relate at times. My mom made pastrami sammiches for supper about 4x a year.

She freaking boiled the stuff. No frying pan. No cooktop. She boiled it. So did my wife's mom.

THEY BOILED FREAKING KIELBASA AS WELL!!!!

Damn. My wife's family isn't even Irish so you can't blame that. But they boiled EVERYTHING! "You want some great food with no flavor? No problem, friend. Just let me boil the flavor right out of that there food and you can not-enjoy it in peace!"

If you look at the Katz site, they brine cure it, rub it, smoke it, and then they boil it. That is the only proper way to do it.
But $38 for a lb. They can kiss my ass!
My dad taught us all how to make our own corned beef and pastrami when we raised our own beef on a ranch in Colorado..... it's not that hard.
But you do need a 5 gallon crock and a refrigerator to put it it.

 

[Picton]

If you look at the Katz site, they brine cure it, rub it, smoke it, and them boil it. That is the only proper way to do it.
But $38 for a lb. They can kiss my ass!
My dad taught us all how to make our own corned beef and pastrami when we raised our own beef on a ranch in Colorado..... it's not that hard.
But you do need a 5 gallon crock and a refrigerator to put it it.

Be fair, though.

You kinda also need a ranch in CO…

 

[Brucewillis4316]

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www.roadsendfarmme.com

 

[Skysoldier]

Be fair, though.

You kinda also need a ranch in CO…

Plenty in New Mexico, and a lot of good butchers here in Albuquerque that have their own ranches.

 

[EMTDAD]

Fast food joints? You guys know you can hit up a decent sub shop and get better quality food for less scratch right?

Son of a bitch, now I want a Jersey Mikes #55.

I know.. I just had a huge hankering for a Whopper.. call me crazy..

 

[bigbravehog]

If you look at the Katz site, they brine cure it, rub it, smoke it, and then they boil it. That is the only proper way to do it.
But $38 for a lb. They can kiss my ass!
My dad taught us all how to make our own corned beef and pastrami when we raised our own beef on a ranch in Colorado..... it's not that hard.
But you do need a 5 gallon crock and a refrigerator to put it it.

I'm going to learn to make my own pastrami very soon.

 

[FalArAk]

If you look at the Katz site, they brine cure it, rub it, smoke it, and then they boil it. That is the only proper way to do it.
But $38 for a lb. They can kiss my ass!
My dad taught us all how to make our own corned beef and pastrami when we raised our own beef on a ranch in Colorado..... it's not that hard.
But you do need a 5 gallon crock and a refrigerator to put it it.

I can do all that but the smoking part, I love pastrami.. In the world of brined and smoked meats, it is the most erotic.

 

[dans]

I ordered from them once. I had a good sandwich. I ordered 2 half-loaves of bread for 4 people. Big mistake. There was enough for a dozen sandwich’s.

 

[Upland]

Anyone who likes good pastrami will like shortcut pastrami. Buy a red corned beef grey works too.(stock up and freeze when they go on sale). I soak it and rinse it to get some of the salt out.Spread yellow mustard on the meat coat with coarsely ground pepper and coriander and smoke low and slow. I stay away from hickory and mesquite. When it’s done smoking bring it in and steam it. Do not skip this step. Slice and enjoy.

 

[bejay]

yeah.. like I said.. back then.. the $18 was worth it... Considering that I just paid $15 for a Whopper value meal here in Plainville, I'd pay $26 for that pastrami. In NYC, it's probably a steal at that price.

Looks like two meals to me!

 

[lowbuckbob]

I've been to Katz's a couple of times. Well worth the price. Awesome sandwich. I've also had pastrami at the legendary Carnegie Deli in Times Square (before they closed) as well as Harold's Famous Deli in Edison, NJ owned by a former Carnegie Deli chef. All great.




Harold's Deli pastrami sandwich

 

[enbloc]

Best advice I can give is: "You only get one crack at life... shouldn't it at least Taste Good ???"

 

[Artie]

yeah.. like I said.. back then.. the $18 was worth it... Considering that I just paid $15 for a Whopper value meal here in Plainville, I'd pay $26 for that pastrami. In NYC, it's probably a steal at that price.

Was it the BurgerKing on 152 in Plainville? I am sure you already know, but almost right behind it is The North End Deli. I get a warm pastrami, cheese, mustard and pickle sandwich every other Friday on my way back from MFG range. Cheaper than BK and very filling.

 

[EMTDAD]

Was it the BurgerKing on 152 in Plainville? I am sure you already know, but almost right behind it is The North End Deli. I get a warm pastrami, cheese, mustard and pickle sandwich every other Friday on my way back from MFG range. Cheaper than BK and very filling.

yeah.. I know about North End Deli.. problem is that they're never open. Even if they stayed open until 7pm on weekdays... their website now says Th-Fri-Sat 7a-2p.

I went to Rico's last night.. Jumbo (which are huge) steak cheese & mushroom.. $13.

 

[Asaltweapon]

nope... reg Whopper, med fry, med drink... I did add a $2.50 dbl cheeseburger from the "value" meal as I was starving.. $18 and change.. I was like WTF..

I did stop for an EggMcMuffin last month after a wedding the night before.

$5.35 all by itself. Nothing else was ordered so I can believe 18 for a “meal”.

 

[JoseyWales]

Enjoy every sandwich. - Warren Zevon

 

[Dennis in MA]

"were".. LOL..

I'm sure it's a combination of the $15 minimum wage, supply chain issues, and Bidinflation.

I had to look up the BK website - in Tawn'n, a Whopper is now $7.50. Yikes!

Pretty soon fast food places are going to start using the remote card swipers that ask you for a percentage tip before you confirm the amount.. I hate that shit.. If I don't tip they will spit in my food and make me wait.

That Katz deli looks good, but $38.00 a pound delivered for their meat is kinda steep IMO.

It's $38 b/c of the cache. Every year around this time, a few gourmet hand-made cookie companies want me to use their cookies for my X-mas gifts to clients. They want to sell me boxes of 8 cookies for $65 plus shipping. If I'm going to go through that level of effort, I'm baking my own cookies.

LOL I can relate. My mother boiled everything too. Must have been to try to kill bacteria or something.

I have a smoker. I have done beef and pork ribs, brisket, pork butts and shoulders, but pastrami with all the brining and preparation seems very intimidating, but I'll try it soon.
Two things I spare no change - ammo and meat.

It isn't that hard. Look up the ATK dry-brining method. It's 2 weeks in a cool place. (I do corned beef and such in winter so I can leave it in the garage to keep cool and not take up valuable fridge real estate.)

Then you coat the outside with cracked pepper and coriander. Smoke it. Slice it thin, fry it.

Fast food joints? You guys know you can hit up a decent sub shop and get better quality food for less scratch right?

Son of a bitch, now I want a Jersey Mikes #55.

I'm not sure you can call any chain sub shop quality. Especially here in the Northeast.

If you look at the Katz site, they brine cure it, rub it, smoke it, and then they boil it. That is the only proper way to do it.
But $38 for a lb. They can kiss my ass!
My dad taught us all how to make our own corned beef and pastrami when we raised our own beef on a ranch in Colorado..... it's not that hard.
But you do need a 5 gallon crock and a refrigerator to put it it.

Despite their success and expertise, boiling pastrami ruins it. You lose the salt. You lose the coating. Maybe steam it. But boiling is the debbil.

See dry brine reco above - you need a 2gal ziplock container. That's it. Countless tests have shown dry brine and wet brine are equivalent.

 

[FalArAk]

I did stop for an EggMcMuffin last month after a wedding the night before.

$5.35 all by itself. Nothing else was ordered so I can believe 18 for a “meal”.

During my McDonalds phase a while ago, you must use the app for really good prices. $.99 large fries etc... I just ordered through the app with all my special requests(burgers fries no salt, ex mustard) and pick up at special window. They never got the order wrong and the price difference was about $5.00 using the app on the same meal vs walkup.

Kinda sad that I know how to get food cheaper at McDonalds lol

 

[FalArAk]

I had to look up the BK website - in Tawn'n, a Whopper is now $7.50. Yikes!



It's $38 b/c of the cache. Every year around this time, a few gourmet hand-made cookie companies want me to use their cookies for my X-mas gifts to clients. They want to sell me boxes of 8 cookies for $65 plus shipping. If I'm going to go through that level of effort, I'm baking my own cookies.



It isn't that hard. Look up the ATK dry-brining method. It's 2 weeks in a cool place. (I do corned beef and such in winter so I can leave it in the garage to keep cool and not take up valuable fridge real estate.)

Then you coat the outside with cracked pepper and coriander. Smoke it. Slice it thin, fry it.



I'm not sure you can call any chain sub shop quality. Especially here in the Northeast.



Despite their success and expertise, boiling pastrami ruins it. You lose the salt. You lose the coating. Maybe steam it. But boiling is the debbil.

See dry brine reco above - you need a 2gal ziplock container. That's it. Countless tests have shown dry brine and wet brine are equivalent.

I really have to get a smoker.. Was looking at Recteq and the small kettle style smoker/grill($400) and I thought it was cool until I started reading the reviews about temp fluctuation, plus they moved all manufacturing into China...

Smoked pastrami using the method you use sounds amazing.