Pastrami on Rye
A deli counter in sandwich form: warm peppery pastrami piled higher than seems structurally wise, mustard doing the heavy lifting. Steaming the meat is the step people skip and then wonder why theirs is dry.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Serves
- 2
- Effort
- Easy
What you need
Written for 2 — nudge the counter and the numbers follow.
0 of 7 in the basket.
How you make it
Set a steamer basket or colander over 2cm of simmering water, pile in the pastrami, cover and steam for 4 minutes until it is soft and hot through.
Butter one side of each bread slice and spread mustard generously on the unbuttered sides.
Squeeze the sauerkraut dry in your hands, then layer cheese, hot pastrami and sauerkraut onto two slices, mustard side in, and close the sandwiches butter side out.
Press in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 minutes a side, weighted with a smaller pan, until the crust is crisp and the cheese has melted.
Cut on the diagonal and serve at once with the pickles.
Read all that and thought “absolutely not”?
Completely fair. Pastrami on Rye is sitting in the American kitchen right now, it costs nothing, and it will never arrive.
Order it insteadMore from the American kitchen
Portions that need two hands and no apology.