Pastrami is a word that arrived in Brazil through the American route — the New York delicatessen sandwich, the stacked rye bread, the yellow mustard. And in this imported version, pastrami usually means eye of round or brisket cured and smoked following an adapted recipe.
At Nicolau Bar da Esquina, pastrami means beef tongue.
This detail changes everything. Tongue has a texture that no other cut reproduces: tender, dense, with that intramuscular fat that releases in the heat of each bite. When cured with spices — coriander, black pepper, garlic, curing salt — and then slowly smoked, beef tongue produces a more complex pastrami than the conventional version. Less fibrous, more unctuous, with a slightly metallic background that is the signature of this cut.
The sandwich arrives on artisanal bread on a board with house paper — that craft paper that is simultaneously napkin, brand carrier, and indicator that you’re in a place that thinks about details. The bread has a firm enough crust to hold the filling without turning to mush, soft enough crumb to absorb the meat’s juices.
Making your own charcuterie in a BH boteco is an act of conviction. It’s saying you care about what you serve more than convenience demands.
The tongue curing process takes days. First the dry brine with spices — the curing salt, coriander, pepper, garlic — that penetrates the meat and begins to transform its texture and flavor. Then the slow smoking, at low temperature, with wood chosen to add layers without dominating. Finally the rest, which allows the flavors to balance before going to the knife. It’s a process that no third-party supplier will do with the same care — because care doesn’t scale.
Nicolau didn’t need to produce its own pastrami. It could buy from a supplier, like most do. It chose not to do this. It chose beef tongue, artisanal curing, the slow process. This choice is in every slice.
The bar has other sandwiches worth the visit — but the tongue pastrami is the manifesto dish, what defines the character of the place. When a boteco decides to make its own charcuterie with an uncommon cut, it’s making a declaration about what it believes gastronomy to be. It’s not technique for technique’s sake — it’s technique in service of a better product.
Belo Horizonte has a bar scene that’s among Brazil’s best. Not for quantity, but for average quality — here owners usually cook, ingredients are thoughtfully chosen, and customers notice the difference. Nicolau is proof of this.
BH recognizes charcuterie when it eats it.
Technical Information
- Location: Nicolau Bar da Esquina, Belo Horizonte, MG
- Category: Street & Boteco
- Average Price: R$ 40–70 per person
- Rating: ⭐ (5/5) — house-made beef tongue pastrami, honest sandwich with rare technique