A little known fact, but a properly marbled pastrami or corned beef is rich in the slow-burning calories ideal for sustained aerobic exercise and also the lubrication essential to runner's knees on Boston's grueling course. And there's no more efficient or more enjoyable way to recover from the rigors of the race than to replenish depleted stocks with deli.
Best of luck to all.
Since first posting this, I've been asked where runners, race fans, or simply deli-starved citizens can obtain the real thing - NYDP artisan deli specialties - today. Please visit our friends at:
Russo's, Watertown; Fruit Center, Milton or Hingham; Idylwilde Farm, Acton; Bleacher Bar, Fenway; Deluxe Town Diner, Watertown; Cardullos, Harvard Square; Butcher Boy, North Andover; Coop Food Stores in Hanover and Lebannon, NH; Buttery, South End; and lots of other places that our distributors haven't told us about yet or our website: www.MoreFlavorPerPound.com for more information and consumer direct sales.
More Flavor Per Pound. It's the Law.
Showing posts with label artisan deli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artisan deli. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Adventures In Deli - Teachings of the Deli Scrolls - Book Two
Translators Note - The Deli Scrolls, though recently discovered (by me) are ancient and venerable texts that guide us in the righteous path of true Deli.
Herewith, the second recovered bits of ancient Deli Law (and commentary thereon).
Start with the best meat. Check. (addressed in Book One).
So now, how do THE DELI SCROLLS further instruct us?
BE WORTHY AND REVEL IN THE GLORY - CURE AND SPICE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT
Back in the day, this was no mere metaphor. Cured meats - like cheese, pickles, beer, and some of mankind's other most important achievements - began as a means of safely preserving food. And before the age of refrigeration, these techniques were critical to making the most of one's gatherings, harvest or kill - and assuring access to nutrition over time. Done right, people enjoyed delicious foods through the seasons. Done improperly, spoilage could set in. People might go hungry. Or worse - foods could become dangerous.
So when the Deli Scrolls tell us to CURE AND SPICE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT
we don't need to dig too far to understand the historical importance of this Law.
But here we are in the modern world. Today, foodie-spiritual considerations, or tailgating before a cold game aside, most of us don't eat preserved meats literally to make it through the winter. And with refrigeration and modern manufacturing hygiene, dangers of the past - though not unknown today - are statistically unlikely. So what are we to make of this Law today?
And what are we to make of BE WORTHY? Or the instruction to REVEL IN THE GLORY? It would be easy to dismiss such language as religious boilerplate - the sort of thing we see in scriptures the world over. But here in the Deli Scrolls - as elsewhere for religious scholars of serious intent - every word counts and deserves deep consideration.
Let us take these Instructions in order, the way they appear in the Text. Today's chapter will be concerned with the notion of worthiness. What must we live up to in our efforts if we are to honor the Teachings?
We are bombarded these days with guidance about our diet. Cut back on fat, salt, meat, calories, and so on is a constant refrain in the media, from our doctors, nutritionists, politicians, Bono... Deli, let's face it, isn't exactly politically correct. Done right, there will be salt. Fat. Meat. Even calories. Why not just eat rice-cakes (preferably brown) and tofu?
But we are instructed to REVEL IN THE GLORY, and try as I might, I can't manage suitable revelry with an abstemious diet. How 'bout an occasional Twinky, or hot-pastrami sub down at the corner sub-shop to break things up? We've all been there - but it's hard to make a good-faith case for worthiness.
No - given the increased awareness of diet and health, we have an obligation (religious and otherwise) to indulge with discretion and purpose. The first modern-day corollary to this scripture, the consumer's side of the bargain is this:
"If you're gonna be bad - it better be good"
Set the bar as high as you can, and enjoy sensibly. Perhaps not every day. And definitely not consuming mass quantities. REVEL IN THE GLORY - As consumers, we are instructed to enjoy ourselves, the majesty of creation, and culinary achievement with discretion, discernment, and appreciation.
The second modern-day corollary to today's portion, the chef's or producer's side of the bargain is this:
"More Flavor Per Pound. It's the LAW!"
We have an obligation to the meat, to our customers, and to our tradition - to make every bite the best it can be - a worthy celebration, not just a sandwich, but a sacrament.
Words to consider at this time of year as we approach next week's high-holiday:
Thursday, January 14th is National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day.
Only the best,
Dan
Herewith, the second recovered bits of ancient Deli Law (and commentary thereon).
Start with the best meat. Check. (addressed in Book One).
So now, how do THE DELI SCROLLS further instruct us?
BE WORTHY AND REVEL IN THE GLORY - CURE AND SPICE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT
Back in the day, this was no mere metaphor. Cured meats - like cheese, pickles, beer, and some of mankind's other most important achievements - began as a means of safely preserving food. And before the age of refrigeration, these techniques were critical to making the most of one's gatherings, harvest or kill - and assuring access to nutrition over time. Done right, people enjoyed delicious foods through the seasons. Done improperly, spoilage could set in. People might go hungry. Or worse - foods could become dangerous.
So when the Deli Scrolls tell us to CURE AND SPICE AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT
we don't need to dig too far to understand the historical importance of this Law.
But here we are in the modern world. Today, foodie-spiritual considerations, or tailgating before a cold game aside, most of us don't eat preserved meats literally to make it through the winter. And with refrigeration and modern manufacturing hygiene, dangers of the past - though not unknown today - are statistically unlikely. So what are we to make of this Law today?
And what are we to make of BE WORTHY? Or the instruction to REVEL IN THE GLORY? It would be easy to dismiss such language as religious boilerplate - the sort of thing we see in scriptures the world over. But here in the Deli Scrolls - as elsewhere for religious scholars of serious intent - every word counts and deserves deep consideration.
Let us take these Instructions in order, the way they appear in the Text. Today's chapter will be concerned with the notion of worthiness. What must we live up to in our efforts if we are to honor the Teachings?
We are bombarded these days with guidance about our diet. Cut back on fat, salt, meat, calories, and so on is a constant refrain in the media, from our doctors, nutritionists, politicians, Bono... Deli, let's face it, isn't exactly politically correct. Done right, there will be salt. Fat. Meat. Even calories. Why not just eat rice-cakes (preferably brown) and tofu?
But we are instructed to REVEL IN THE GLORY, and try as I might, I can't manage suitable revelry with an abstemious diet. How 'bout an occasional Twinky, or hot-pastrami sub down at the corner sub-shop to break things up? We've all been there - but it's hard to make a good-faith case for worthiness.
No - given the increased awareness of diet and health, we have an obligation (religious and otherwise) to indulge with discretion and purpose. The first modern-day corollary to this scripture, the consumer's side of the bargain is this:
"If you're gonna be bad - it better be good"
Set the bar as high as you can, and enjoy sensibly. Perhaps not every day. And definitely not consuming mass quantities. REVEL IN THE GLORY - As consumers, we are instructed to enjoy ourselves, the majesty of creation, and culinary achievement with discretion, discernment, and appreciation.
The second modern-day corollary to today's portion, the chef's or producer's side of the bargain is this:
"More Flavor Per Pound. It's the LAW!"
We have an obligation to the meat, to our customers, and to our tradition - to make every bite the best it can be - a worthy celebration, not just a sandwich, but a sacrament.
Words to consider at this time of year as we approach next week's high-holiday:
Thursday, January 14th is National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day.
Only the best,
Dan
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Adventures In Deli - Teachings of the Deli Scrolls
Translators note - The Deli Scrolls, though recently discovered (by me) are ancient and venerable texts that guide us in the righteous path of true Deli. As with translations of other Holy Writ, one is tempted to translate the beginning of essential received laws as "Thou Shalt..."
However, we have dug a bit deeper to capture the subtle variations essential to properly understanding how the Deli Mavens of old thought about these matters. Herewith, then - the first recovered bits of ancient Deli Law (and commentary thereon):
The N* Commandments of Deli
(*ed. - We don't actually know how many commandments there are yet - we're still working on it.)
ahem - So to the text...
First, use only the best meats.
Editor's Note: This simple directive is harder to adhere to than it seems. Take pastrami, for example. The traditional cut of meat for pastrami is richly marbled beef navel plate. It's a funny name. It sounds odd - but it's just the part of the steer adjacent to the brisket as you move toward the belly from the breast area. In terms of weight, the section in question is about 1% of the steer's meat. So this is a scarce commodity to begin with. Then, it turns out that there are a number of other applications for the navel cut. Our Korean and Japanese friends, for example, are also very fond of this meat. And the export markets pay well. Especially when the dollar is low (which was the case in the recent past). What's more, these other markets have a fondness for richly marbled beef (think of Kobe beef, for example) while the domestic beef market has for some years sought ever leaner beef. And finally, the part of the plate that goes to make a proper pastrami is only a portion of the larger primal cut - the entirety of which is purchased by the international buyers. Taken together this all means that the vast majority of well-marbled beef plates are sold in primal form before they ever have a chance to be trimmed for use in pastrami.
For these - and other reasons I'll go into another time - domestic beef packers today tend not to offer graded navel plate to the market. When purchasing ungraded beef, the packer is confronted with a mix of quality ranging from low to high. But mostly not high. And you'll never get a great pastrami unless your meat is well marbled.
Most deli manufacturers don't even try to produce quality navel plate pastrami any more. If you look at the pastrami available from your local deli or supermarket, chances are the majority of what they sell is round, followed by brisket. Navel plate - the only legitimate cut for old-time pastrami - is a tiny fraction of the market today. And what's out there is ungraded and thus inconsistent.
So - this simple directive, is not so simple after all.
But - it's the Law. So, at Deli-Arts, we've found a way.
It's Artisan Deli. It's Deli-Arts.
However, we have dug a bit deeper to capture the subtle variations essential to properly understanding how the Deli Mavens of old thought about these matters. Herewith, then - the first recovered bits of ancient Deli Law (and commentary thereon):
The N* Commandments of Deli
(*ed. - We don't actually know how many commandments there are yet - we're still working on it.)
ahem - So to the text...
First, use only the best meats.
Editor's Note: This simple directive is harder to adhere to than it seems. Take pastrami, for example. The traditional cut of meat for pastrami is richly marbled beef navel plate. It's a funny name. It sounds odd - but it's just the part of the steer adjacent to the brisket as you move toward the belly from the breast area. In terms of weight, the section in question is about 1% of the steer's meat. So this is a scarce commodity to begin with. Then, it turns out that there are a number of other applications for the navel cut. Our Korean and Japanese friends, for example, are also very fond of this meat. And the export markets pay well. Especially when the dollar is low (which was the case in the recent past). What's more, these other markets have a fondness for richly marbled beef (think of Kobe beef, for example) while the domestic beef market has for some years sought ever leaner beef. And finally, the part of the plate that goes to make a proper pastrami is only a portion of the larger primal cut - the entirety of which is purchased by the international buyers. Taken together this all means that the vast majority of well-marbled beef plates are sold in primal form before they ever have a chance to be trimmed for use in pastrami.
For these - and other reasons I'll go into another time - domestic beef packers today tend not to offer graded navel plate to the market. When purchasing ungraded beef, the packer is confronted with a mix of quality ranging from low to high. But mostly not high. And you'll never get a great pastrami unless your meat is well marbled.
Most deli manufacturers don't even try to produce quality navel plate pastrami any more. If you look at the pastrami available from your local deli or supermarket, chances are the majority of what they sell is round, followed by brisket. Navel plate - the only legitimate cut for old-time pastrami - is a tiny fraction of the market today. And what's out there is ungraded and thus inconsistent.
So - this simple directive, is not so simple after all.
But - it's the Law. So, at Deli-Arts, we've found a way.
It's Artisan Deli. It's Deli-Arts.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Manhattan Deli-Arts
Well, it's official. deli-arts.com lives.
We've just launched the website for Deli-Arts (and Manhattan Deli-Arts in particular).
I have refrained from writing about my commercial endeavors here until now - and honestly I'm not sure yet if I'll continue that policy in general - but as I've been absent from this blog for a long time, I figure I owe an explanation.
I've been busy starting a business. In fact, we've been making and selling our Artisan Deli Classics for about a year now. But we've been slow to the web.
Please stay in touch with the blog going forward as I'm renewing my commitment to writing Noshstalgia - cheering for the heroes who bring us great things, and sharing some of the challenges and lessons learned in bringing old-time product to market.
In the meantime - Thanks to all who've contributed to taking some of my Noshstalgia out of the blogosphere and into the real world: Family, Investors, Suppliers, Distributors, Retailers, our fine Restaurant accounts, deli-mavens who support our efforts, and my partner John O'Brien who brings decades of experience in the deli products business to the team.
We've just launched the website for Deli-Arts (and Manhattan Deli-Arts in particular).
I have refrained from writing about my commercial endeavors here until now - and honestly I'm not sure yet if I'll continue that policy in general - but as I've been absent from this blog for a long time, I figure I owe an explanation.
I've been busy starting a business. In fact, we've been making and selling our Artisan Deli Classics for about a year now. But we've been slow to the web.
Please stay in touch with the blog going forward as I'm renewing my commitment to writing Noshstalgia - cheering for the heroes who bring us great things, and sharing some of the challenges and lessons learned in bringing old-time product to market.
In the meantime - Thanks to all who've contributed to taking some of my Noshstalgia out of the blogosphere and into the real world: Family, Investors, Suppliers, Distributors, Retailers, our fine Restaurant accounts, deli-mavens who support our efforts, and my partner John O'Brien who brings decades of experience in the deli products business to the team.
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