Pastrami Glossary – Girls Can Grill

Pastrami has its own language: cure, brine, steam finish, bark, grain, etc. If you’re new to making it at home, those terms can get confusing fast.

This glossary breaks down the most common pastrami words and phrases in plain English, so you can follow recipes, troubleshoot problems, and talk pastrami like you’ve been doing it for years.

For more tips, check out my Ultimate Pastrami Guide.

Against the grain

Slicing perpendicular to the muscle fibers so pastrami is tender, not chewy.

Allspice

Common pickling spice ingredient; warm, clove-like aroma.

Aromatics

Flavor add-ins for brine (garlic, bay, peppercorns, coriander, etc.).

Bark

The dark, seasoned outer crust formed during smoking.

Bay leaf

Brine aromatic that adds herbal depth.

Beef navel

Traditional deli cut for pastrami; rich, fatty, and very sliceable.

Chuck roast

Common backyard cut for pastrami; beefy flavor, less expensive than brisket.

Clean smoke

Thin, almost invisible smoke that tastes pleasant, not bitter.

Cold water soak

Soaking cured meat to reduce salt before seasoning/smoking.

Coriander

Classic pastrami flavor (citrusy, floral); often paired with black pepper.

Corned beef

Cured beef usually cooked by boiling or braising.

Cure

Preserving and seasoning process using salt (and often pink curing salt #1).

Curing Salt #1 (Prague Powder #1)

Curing salt containing sodium nitrite; used for cured meats like pastrami.

Deli-style

Pastrami that’s cured, smoked, then typically steamed/held for ultra-tender slicing.

Desalination

Reducing salt via soaking and water changes after curing.

Diamond cut

Slicing style sometimes used for presentation (thin slices at an angle).

Dry cure

Cure applied as a measured mix directly to meat (no added water).

Dry brine

Often used casually to mean a dry cure (for pastrami, “dry cure” is clearer).

Internal temperature

Meat’s center temp; useful, but tenderness is the real finish line.

Kosher salt

Common curing/brining salt; measure by weight for consistency.

Low-and-slow

Cooking at lower heat for longer; helps tenderness and smoke flavor.

Navel plate

Another way people refer to beef navel; traditional pastrami cut.

Nitrite

Preserves cured flavor and color; part of pink curing salt #1.

Nitrate

Ingredient in pink curing salt #2, which is used to make salami and other hard sausages.

Pastrami

Cured, seasoned beef (or other meat) that’s smoked; often steamed to finish deli-style.

Peppercorns

Core pastrami flavor; coarse black pepper is classic.

Pickling spice

Spice blend used in many corned beef/pastrami cures (pepper, coriander, bay, etc.).

Pink Curing Salt

Curing salt containing sodium nitrite; used for cured meats like pastrami.

Plate ribs

Beef ribs cut; can be pastrami-style, very rich.

Point

Fatty portion of brisket; forgiving and juicy, slices differently than flat.

Prague Powder #1

Curing salt containing sodium nitrite; used for cured meats like pastrami.

Probe tender

When a thermometer probe slides in with little resistance—key tenderness cue.

Pulling early

Removing meat before it’s tender; leads to tough slices.

Rest

Time off heat before slicing; helps juices redistribute.

Rub

Seasoning blend applied before smoking; pastrami rub is typically pepper + coriander heavy.

Rinse

Washing off surface brine after curing to avoid excess salt.

Sodium Nitrate

Also referred to as pink curing salt #2, which is used to cure hard meats like salami.

Sodium Nitrite

Also referred to as pink curing salt #1, which is used for cured meats like pastrami.

Steam finish

Steaming after smoking for classic tender deli texture.

Submersion

Keeping meat fully covered in brine; prevents uneven curing.

Texas crutch

Wrapping meat during the back-end of the cook to push through the stall.

Uncured pastrami

Pastrami-style flavor without Cure #1; won’t have the classic cured color/taste.