Name: Deli Pastrami Sandwich
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: USA
Ingredients: 500 g cured pastrami, sliced, from a good deli counter; 4 slices rye bread; 3 tbsp yellow or brown deli mustard; dill pickles, to serve; coleslaw, optional, to serve

When Harry Met Sally… (1989) is responsible for one of the most famous scenes in romantic comedy, filmed at the real Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan over lunch, where Sally makes a point loudly enough that another diner in the deli asks the waiter for what she's having, a line that has long outlived the actual sandwich on the table.

That sandwich is pastrami on rye, piled high, and the one step that separates a real deli version from a sad approximation is steaming the meat fresh before it goes on the bread, never serving it cold straight from the fridge.

Part of our 40 famous movie foods list.

method

If the pastrami is cold, steam it: place it in a steamer basket over simmering water, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot through and tender. This is the step real delis never skip.

While the pastrami steams, lightly toast the rye bread.

Spread mustard generously over two slices of the toasted rye.

Pile the hot, steamed pastrami high onto the mustard-covered bread, more generously than feels reasonable; a proper deli sandwich is meant to look almost too full to close.

Top with the remaining bread slices.

Cut in half, and serve immediately with pickles and coleslaw on the side.

chef's tips

Steaming the pastrami before serving is the single most important step and the one home cooks most often skip; a real New York deli steams its pastrami fresh for every order, and it is what keeps the meat tender and warm rather than cold and chewy.
Pile the meat genuinely high. A proper deli pastrami sandwich is meant to look like it barely fits together, not like a neat, modest lunch sandwich.
When Harry Met Sally… (1989) is responsible for one of cinema's most famous scenes, filmed at the real Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan, where Sally demonstrates something during lunch loudly enough that another diner asks to have what she's having, a line that has outlived the sandwich itself in pop culture.
Yellow or brown deli mustard is the traditional spread here, not mayonnaise, and it is worth using a proper deli-style version rather than a thin, mild squeeze bottle mustard.