Pastrami, like many other preparations of meat and fish, was born out of necessity. Before the days of refrigeration, meat needed to be salted in order to preserve it. Luckily, the meat also takes on fantastic flavours from the combination of brining, smoking and steaming over a long period of time with a mixture of herbs and spices.

Pastrami is very popular in the US, particularly New York, as Jewish immigrants brought the technique over with them in the late 19th century and it was quickly adopted as part of the city’s culture. In Jewish delis all over New York you will find pastrami being served on fresh rye bread, slathered with mustard and served with the obligatory pickles.

You can vary the herbs and spices in both the brine and the dry rub according to your personal preference. If you don’t have wood chips you could add smoked paprika to the rub for a smoky flavour or even try doing the smoking part of the recipe on a charcoal barbecue.

Pastrami is a classic sandwich meat. As mentioned before, you should stock up on a variety of pickles to serve this - pickled red cabbage, gherkins or even some sauerkraut would all work quite nicely. Add a dollop of classic Russian dressing to your sandwich, or simply drizzle over some homemade mayonnaise and a squeeze of mustard.