The Staggering Amount Of Meat Katz's Deli Serves Each Week

In a city that's defined by its diverse culinary scene and full of iconic restaurants, Katz's Delicatessen still might be the most famous place to grab a bite to eat in New York City. The Lower East Side deli is one of the oldest restaurants in New York, having opened way back in 1888, with its towering pastrami sandwiches becoming a symbol of the city. While the deli originally catered to the poor, working class, and Jewish residents in the surrounding area, Katz's has managed to stay relevant and popular even as the neighborhood around it constantly changes. To keep up with deli meat demands in the country's largest city, Katz's ends up serving a whopping 70,000 pounds of meat every week.

That staggering poundage of meat is all the more impressive when you consider that Katz's maintains its famous quality by making all of its meat in house. The most popular options by far are the corned beef and pastrami, the latter of which is considered Katz's signature item. Of those 70,000 pounds, 40,000 pounds are pastrami alone, and 20,000 pounds are corned beef. The deli also serves smoked turkey, brisket, and sausages like frankfurters and knockwurst. 

All this meat is served to thousands of customers every day at hand-carving stations, which the deli can manage thanks to being staffed by well-trained cutters, some who have decades of experience. Employees also work their way through different positions, so each one knows the full operations of the deli.

The most popular sandwiches at Katz's are the Pastrami on Rye, and the Reuben, not surprising at a Jewish deli. The Pastrami on Rye is an incredibly simple sandwich, served plain on two slices of bread, with just an optional swipe of mustard or other condiments. That's because it's the pastrami itself that's the draw, and Katz doesn't want to distract from the star. 

The pastrami (and corned beef) are cured for up to four weeks, which makes them incredibly tender. In fact, that's part of the reason why the sandwiches are hand carved, as they are too tender to be cut using a slicer. The pastrami gets a signature dry rub of secret house spices, although coriander and black pepper are a big part. It also gets smoked for two to three days after it's done curing. The result is a rich, juicy, impossibly flavorful slice of beef that doesn't even need mustard.

In a city with endless options and hundreds of more trendy, expensive restaurants starting and failing every year, a blue-collar deli like Katz's survives because the quality of its food keeps people lining up day in and day out. It's a family-owned business that has stayed committed to doing things the right way. While so many places chase trending fads, Katz's will keep smoking and slicing pastrami, and millions of people will continue to love the deli for it.