To pair smoked foods with fermented or pickled items, first choose the main component and then add a contrast. The goal is a balanced dish, not adding every intense ingredient from the catalog.
Three combinations for different uses
- Sandwich: sliced pastrami, bread, and sauerkraut or beer mustard. See the DIY Pastrami video to see how Rooftop builds it.
- Potato: smoked butter and a mustard condiment. Our mashed potato with butter and mustard recipe shows this use.
- Appetizer: smoked cheddar and piparras (green chili peppers), with bread or crackers. Piparras are pickled in vinegar, not a demonstration of a probiotic effect.
How to adjust the balance
- Choose the main ingredient and check how to prepare it.
- Add only one acidic or spicy accompaniment at first.
- Taste before adding more mustard, kimchi, or pickles.
- Use bread, potato, or rice as a base when it fits the dish.
Don't confuse process, flavor, and health
An acidic food is not necessarily fermented; vinegar can provide that acidity. Nor does being fermented on its own guarantee a probiotic benefit. See our guide to fermented and pickled foods to understand the difference.
Buying and storing the components
Presentation matters: sliced pastrami makes a sandwich easier; a whole piece requires cutting when serving. Compare formats and check the ingredients and potential allergens of each accompaniment. The kimchi in the catalog should not be assumed to be vegetarian without checking its composition.
Store each product according to its label and packaging. There is no single room temperature rule that applies to a full board. You can choose your accompaniments in the fermented and pickled collection.
