Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Pastrami

Exquisite pastrami flavour pairings and recipes, revealed through data science.

Pastrami immediately conjures the embrace of smoke and the kiss of black pepper, yet its initial umaminess is only the overtone. Beneath lies a complex tapestry of char, whispers of coriander, and the savoury richness of glutamate. These are the notes that lend it such remarkable, resonant depth. The magic of the kitchen unfolds when we pair pastrami with ingredients that let these nuances sing.

To illuminate these harmonies, we embarked on an ambitious journey, analysing thousands of ingredients. Each was meticulously deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, allowing us to pinpoint precisely which notes complement in both classic and unexpected ways. Our analysis reveals, for example, how jalapeño's capsicum tones infuse with pastrami, and how red onion's cepaceous notes create a surprising synergy with its smoky depths.

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like carnal, maillard, and spice, combined with its unique aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim to include a broad variety of core characteristics for a balanced dish. And choose aroma notes that complement each other for a harmonious combination.

Unlocking Flavour Combinations

To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Smoky Notes

Our analysis reveals a strong connection between smoke and onion flavours. Since pastrami has a distinct smoky flavour, try pairing it with the oniony flavours of red onion.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing pastrami with red onion.

Harmonious Flavours Of Pastrami

Just as our analysis found that smoke and oniony flavours combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in pastrami. For instance, the peppery notes of pastrami are strongly associated with fatty and chickeny notes.

The accents complementary to the various aroma accents of pastrami can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of jalapeño offers many of the accents complementary to pastrami, including capsicum and capsaicin aromas. Because the flavour profile of jalapeño has many of the of the features that are complementary to pastrami, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of jalapeño across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with pastrami.

Recipes That Pair Pastrami With Jalapeño

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma notes that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of pastrami, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of pastrami, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma accents complementary to pastrami.

What To Drink With Pastrami

The capsaicin notes in l' una rossa make it a perfect pairing with pastrami. Likewise, the coconut flavours in light rum create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of pastrami below.

Which Vegetables Go With Pastrami?

Choose vegetables that lift its salinity or resonate with its bright spice. Jalapeño and green chilli offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Yellow bell pepper add a gentle, oniony brightness, while iceberg lettuce introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace vegetables that harmonise with pastrami's smokiness. The addition of spring onion, with its subtle cepaceous notes, can complement the smoke beautifully, while green cabbage lends a pungent aroma.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Pastrami), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.