Pastrami has its roots in Eastern European cuisine, where it was originally made from goose breast or mutton. Meanwhile, corned beef has its origins in Ireland, where it was a staple food due to the abundance of cattle. Talk about a historical beef between two meats!
The Irish version of corned beef was actually a luxury item, due to the high cost of salt used in the curing process. On the other hand, pastrami was more of a peasant food, made from tougher cuts of meat that were slow-cooked to perfection. Who knew that these two meats had such different upbringings?
