The Pastrami Project: Bringing New York Deli Flavors to the Southeast
Back in 2017, I tracked down a food truck in Orlando, Florida that was delivering New York-style deli meats to the masses. At the time, the truck was constantly on the move, but these days, it's stationed in one spot, still rolling out deli favorites to its loyal fans. This is the story of the Pastrami Project.
The quality of food that comes out of this one food truck is amazing. You would think you're at a New York deli on the streets of Manhattan. The owner, George Marwood, has taken some classics and turned them into unique menu items, like Reuben egg rolls. Ever since the truck was featured on the popular TV show "Triple D," its popularity has only grown.
"Ever since Triple D, it's just been getting more popular," Marwood says. "That was bound to happen once rumors started flying about George Marwood's passion for making meat the old-school way."
Marwood takes great pride in his pastrami, using a traditional brine and smoking process that he's perfected over the years. "I went back and looked up old recipes, old ways and techniques of doing it," he explains. "Everything I'm doing here is the way they did it 100 years ago."
The attention to detail is evident in every bite. Marwood uses fresh ingredients every day, and the results are consistently delicious. "I have never been disappointed," one customer raves.
Marwood walks us through the process of making his signature pastrami. It starts with a brine made from pink salt, allspice, coriander, cloves, peppercorns, nutmeg, mustard seed, bay leaves, red pepper flake, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and garlic cloves. The brine is simmered and then iced to cool it down before the brisket is added.
"We let it simmer and melt," Marwood says. "Then we're going to ice it, so we don't poach our meat."
The brisket sits in the brine for a week, allowing the flavors to fully penetrate the meat. Once it's ready, Marwood applies a dry rub of black pepper and coriander before smoking it over Hickory wood for 5-6 hours at around 275°F.
The result is a perfectly tender, flavorful pastrami that Marwood serves on rye bread with spicy mustard. "Every bite you get is just creamy, delicious," one customer says. "I mean, that level of pastrami is excellent."
Reuben Egg Rolls and Donkey Sauce
Marwood doesn't stop at just pastrami, though. He's also taken the classic Reuben sandwich and turned it into a unique egg roll creation. "We take some egg roll wrappers, spicy mustard, Russian dressing, we put a piece of Swiss cheese in here and then sauerkraut," he explains.
The Reuben egg rolls are a hit, with the perfect blend of flavors and a satisfying crunch. Marwood even makes his own Russian dressing, starting with a premium mayonnaise and adding caviar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, horseradish, and onion powder.
But Marwood's culinary creativity doesn't end there. He's also known for his "donkey sauce," a secret condiment that he's turned into a signature item. "We start with garlic confit, add salt, pepper, Worcestershire, a generous amount of onion powder, mayonnaise, and spicy brown mustard," he reveals.
The braised beef brisket sandwich with donkey sauce is a customer favorite, with the tender, flavorful meat perfectly complemented by the bold, creamy sauce.
A Permanent Home and Growing Popularity
After the Pastrami Project's appearance on "Triple D," Marwood's business exploded. "I was warned to expect a 3 to 500% increase after it aired," he says. "It was 950% - that's awesome."
To keep up with the demand, Marwood decided to give the Pastrami Project a permanent home in downtown Orlando. "I put it in one spot, which is in downtown Orlando," he explains. "I get people come off the plane, they come straight to me. They flock for the egg rolls."
Marwood's dedication to quality and his passion for traditional deli flavors have earned him a loyal following. As one customer puts it, "He can prepare it any way, and it's fabulous." Marwood may not be the "prince of pastrami," as one customer jokingly suggested, but he's certainly the mayor of Flavor Town.
Part 1/6:
The Pastrami Project: Bringing New York Deli Flavors to the Southeast
Back in 2017, I tracked down a food truck in Orlando, Florida that was delivering New York-style deli meats to the masses. At the time, the truck was constantly on the move, but these days, it's stationed in one spot, still rolling out deli favorites to its loyal fans. This is the story of the Pastrami Project.
The quality of food that comes out of this one food truck is amazing. You would think you're at a New York deli on the streets of Manhattan. The owner, George Marwood, has taken some classics and turned them into unique menu items, like Reuben egg rolls. Ever since the truck was featured on the popular TV show "Triple D," its popularity has only grown.
Part 2/6:
"Ever since Triple D, it's just been getting more popular," Marwood says. "That was bound to happen once rumors started flying about George Marwood's passion for making meat the old-school way."
Marwood takes great pride in his pastrami, using a traditional brine and smoking process that he's perfected over the years. "I went back and looked up old recipes, old ways and techniques of doing it," he explains. "Everything I'm doing here is the way they did it 100 years ago."
The attention to detail is evident in every bite. Marwood uses fresh ingredients every day, and the results are consistently delicious. "I have never been disappointed," one customer raves.
Mastering the Pastrami Process
Part 3/6:
Marwood walks us through the process of making his signature pastrami. It starts with a brine made from pink salt, allspice, coriander, cloves, peppercorns, nutmeg, mustard seed, bay leaves, red pepper flake, ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and garlic cloves. The brine is simmered and then iced to cool it down before the brisket is added.
"We let it simmer and melt," Marwood says. "Then we're going to ice it, so we don't poach our meat."
The brisket sits in the brine for a week, allowing the flavors to fully penetrate the meat. Once it's ready, Marwood applies a dry rub of black pepper and coriander before smoking it over Hickory wood for 5-6 hours at around 275°F.
Part 4/6:
The result is a perfectly tender, flavorful pastrami that Marwood serves on rye bread with spicy mustard. "Every bite you get is just creamy, delicious," one customer says. "I mean, that level of pastrami is excellent."
Reuben Egg Rolls and Donkey Sauce
Marwood doesn't stop at just pastrami, though. He's also taken the classic Reuben sandwich and turned it into a unique egg roll creation. "We take some egg roll wrappers, spicy mustard, Russian dressing, we put a piece of Swiss cheese in here and then sauerkraut," he explains.
The Reuben egg rolls are a hit, with the perfect blend of flavors and a satisfying crunch. Marwood even makes his own Russian dressing, starting with a premium mayonnaise and adding caviar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, horseradish, and onion powder.
Part 5/6:
But Marwood's culinary creativity doesn't end there. He's also known for his "donkey sauce," a secret condiment that he's turned into a signature item. "We start with garlic confit, add salt, pepper, Worcestershire, a generous amount of onion powder, mayonnaise, and spicy brown mustard," he reveals.
The braised beef brisket sandwich with donkey sauce is a customer favorite, with the tender, flavorful meat perfectly complemented by the bold, creamy sauce.
A Permanent Home and Growing Popularity
After the Pastrami Project's appearance on "Triple D," Marwood's business exploded. "I was warned to expect a 3 to 500% increase after it aired," he says. "It was 950% - that's awesome."
Part 6/6:
To keep up with the demand, Marwood decided to give the Pastrami Project a permanent home in downtown Orlando. "I put it in one spot, which is in downtown Orlando," he explains. "I get people come off the plane, they come straight to me. They flock for the egg rolls."
Marwood's dedication to quality and his passion for traditional deli flavors have earned him a loyal following. As one customer puts it, "He can prepare it any way, and it's fabulous." Marwood may not be the "prince of pastrami," as one customer jokingly suggested, but he's certainly the mayor of Flavor Town.