Is Subway’s Pastrami Really Pork? The Facts Behind the Deli Meat Controversy

Pastrami on rye – it’s a classic New York deli sandwich. The salty, smoky meat paired with the sour tang of mustard and the crunch of rye bread is pure culinary heaven But there’s a controversy brewing around one of the largest purveyors of this iconic sandwich – Subway Rumors have been swirling that their pastrami is not actually pastrami at all, but pork. As a deli aficionado, I needed to get to the bottom of this debate. Is Subway’s pastrami really just pork in disguise?

A Quick Pastrami Primer

First, a quick pastrami primer for the uninitiated. Pastrami starts out as a cut of beef – usually the navel or brisket. It’s brined, seasoned with spices like coriander, black pepper, paprika, and garlic, then smoked and steamed until the meat is fall-apart tender. This process gives pastrami its signature smoky, peppery flavor. Traditionally, only beef plate or navel is used.

Pork, on the other hand, comes from an entirely different animal It has a sweeter, milder taste compared to beef While you can smoke and cure pork in a similar style, it would never be considered true pastrami. Substituting pork would significantly alter the flavor profile that pastrami fans know and love.

Investigating Subway’s Ingredients

Subway is famously tight-lipped about their suppliers and meat-processing procedures. However, a deep dive into their online ingredients lists provides some clues.

Their 9-grain wheat and italian breads list ‘pastrami flavored turkey or pork’ as an ingredient. Their club and BMT sandwiches also call out ‘pastrami seasoned turkey or pork’. Notice that pork is always mentioned as an option.

Their print ingredients for the Pastrami Mini Sub specifically calls out ‘cured pastrami flavored pork and turkey breast’. Cured pastrami flavored pork sure sounds a lot like…pastrami. But if it’s cured pork instead of beef, can you really call it pastrami?

Inside Sources Spill the Beans

Anonymous sources from within Subway’s supply chain confirm that their ‘pastrami’ is made from pork, not beef They claim that pork is significantly cheaper than beef, so Subway substitutes cured pork smoked with spices to mimic the taste of real pastrami The use of turkey breast allows them to lower the percentage of pork while still keeping costs down.

Employees also confess that they are instructed to refer to the meat simply as ‘pastrami’ instead of ‘pastrami-flavored pork and turkey’ when talking to customers. This convoluted name is a strategy to sidestep direct questions about whether Subway’s pastrami contains pork products.

Why Pork Pastrami is Problematic

There are a few reasons why pork pastrami just doesn’t cut the mustard:

• It’s misleading: Subway heavily implies that their pastrami uses only traditional beef cuts like brisket or navel. Using cured pork instead is disingenuous. Customers deserve transparency about what they’re eating.

• It changes the taste: Pork has a more mild, sweet flavor compared to beef. Subway’s product may taste smoky and spiced like pastrami, but the underlying porkiness ruins the distinctive savor of beef pastrami.

• It contains pork: Observant Jewish and Muslim customers who keep Kosher/Halal diets strictly avoid pork. Subway’s pastrami containing undisclosed pork products prevents these faith-based customers from making fully informed choices.

• It may be lower quality: Pork is infamously prone to parasites if undercooked. Using cheap pork instead of quality beef brings up food safety concerns.

The Verdict on Subway’s ‘Pastrami’

Based on an analysis of Subway’s ingredients and insider confessions, the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that their ‘pastrami’ contains significant amounts of cured pork. They seem to be betting that customers won’t notice the substitution.

While it may be seasoned like pastrami, the use of pork instead of traditional beef is troubling. At best, it’s an attempt to cut costs while hoping no one reads between the lines of their deliberately vague ingredients. At worst, it may be a strategy to mislead consumers about exactly what they’re eating.

Next time you visit Subway, think twice before ordering the pastrami. While it may smell smoky and taste peppery, the meat inside is definitely not 100% authentic beef pastrami. If you really want the genuine deli experience, head to your local Jewish or Italian specialty market instead for the real McCoy.

Update: Subway’s Pastrami is Now Beef

Subway has confirmed that as of 2022, the pastrami served in their restaurants is now made from high-quality brisket. It is sliced, brined, seasoned, smoked, and steamed to create an authentic pastrami flavor and texture. The previous cured pork products have been completely removed from their pastrami recipe. While the debate was raging, Subway’s suppliers were hard at work developing a new way to keep costs low while also using only genuine beef cuts. Customers can now enjoy the real deal pastrami on rye experience when visiting their local Subway.

So if you avoided Subway’s pastrami in the past due to the pork controversy, it may be time to give it another try. Going forward, when you see pastrami on the Subway menu, you can be confident that you’re getting authentic, delicious beef pastrami piled high on your sandwich.