The inspiration for this potato salad came when I was preparing eggs & pastırma for a brunch with friends. For those who haven’t heard of it before, pastırma (pass-trrr-mah) is an air-dried cured beef, which I consider to be one of the ultimate treats for a typical Turkish breakfast or brunch. Pastırma is believed to be the origin of the Italian pastrami, but for me the taste is much closer to a beef jerky.

The last time I prepared the dish, I was juggling many dishes at once. The pastırma slices fried more than intended and became ultra crispy. Instead of starting over, I crumbled and sprinkled them on top of eggs. It was a smashing success. Following that brunch dish, I kept on overcooking my pastırma slices and sprinkling the salty bits on top of everything. And the minute they hit these warm potatoes in a creamy mustard dressing, I knew this recipe was going to be a keeper.

You can find pastırma at your local Middle Eastern grocer (may also be called halal pastrami or dried beef strips) or here, but in case you can’t, you can definitely prepare this salad with bacon. I am sure it will be equally delicious.

And if you’re lucky to find it, please note the following: The last step in preparing pastırma involves covering the meat with a paste of spices that include crushed cumin, fenugreek, garlic and hot paprika, which is called çemen (che-men). Çemen doesn’t fry well, so I recommend discarding it before frying the slices. It is usually too sticky to handle but resting the pastırma slices an hour  in the fridge uncovered dries the çemen and makes it easier to peel off.

Here are two slices of pastırma, çemen removed.

You can also use pastırma as a filling in these börek dishes.

By the way, here’s a great tip for storing parsley: Cut half an inch from the bottom and put them in a glass with fresh water. Place a zip lock bag on top and it will keep fresh for weeks!

Enjoy.