Italian Pastrami Skillet Food

PASTRAMI RUEBEN AKA "THE RACHEL"

Steps:

• For the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, dill pickles and shallots in a food processor until thoroughly mixed. Do not over blend, you still want to see some texture. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate in a covered jar until serving time.
• For the sandwich build: Combine half of the dressing with the sauerkraut and toss. Place 1 slice of cheese on a piece of bread. Pile the meat high on the cheese, top with an additional slice of cheese, some of the sauerkraut mixture and the second piece of bread. Butter the outsides of the sandwich. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat. Add the sandwiches, cover with a heatproof bowl and griddle until golden and gooey in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, cover and let cook until golden all around, another 3 minutes. Serve the extra dressing on the side.
• Cook's Note: I love getting a whole piece of pastrami, uncut, from Fumare's in Chicago. If you have a favorite deli, try getting a whole piece and cutting it yourself; the meat will stay nice and tender and you can mix the bark from the end cut with the meatier middle. You'll fall in love with pastrami all over again.

PASTRAMI BURGER

Steps:

• Form the beef into four 4-inch-wide patties (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick); season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute, then top each burger with a slice of cheese and one-quarter of the pastrami. Cover and cook until the cheese melts and the pastrami is hot, about 2 more minutes for medium.
• Serve the burgers on the buns with lettuce, onions, tomatoes and Thousand Island dressing.

MINI PASTRAMI SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Mash 1 stick softened butter with 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon each chopped parsley and rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Thinly slice a sourdough baguette; spread the herbed butter on one side of each slice. Flip over half of the bread slices and spread with Thousand Island dressing. Top with sliced pastrami, cornichons and provolone; cover with the remaining baguette slices, buttered-side up. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 4 minutes per side.

EASY HOMEMADE PASTRAMI

Steps:

• Mix garlic and vegetable oil in a small bowl. Set aside for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C).
• Combine black pepper, paprika, coriander, dry mustard, white pepper, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Cover a baking sheet with a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Coat aluminum foil with prepared garlic oil. Lay corned beef brisket on foil and brush with remaining garlic oil.
• Cover all sides of corned beef brisket completely with pepper mixture, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons.
• With fat side of corned beef brisket up, wrap in the sheet of aluminum foil. Place wrapped corned beef on another sheet of aluminum foil with the seam and fat side down. Place double-wrapped corned beef on a third sheet of aluminum foil (seam down), and wrap again.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 6 hours.
• Remove pastrami from the oven and let cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.
• With pastrami still wrapped in aluminum foil, place in a freezer bag or other plastic bag and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Remove pastrami from refrigerator, unwrap, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of remaining pepper mixture.
• Place pastrami in the oven, 6 to 8 inches below broiler heat. Broil briefly to brown surface, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pastrami from the oven and slice thinly, about 1/8-inch slices.
• Heat a large skillet over low heat.
• Heat pastrami slices in the skillet with a few drops of water until fat begins to turn from white to translucent, about 5 minutes.

ITALIAN PASTRAMI SKILLET

Steps:

• Add oil to a large skillet. Saute the onion and red bell pepper and saute until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are browned. Add the wine and let most evaporate. Add the pastrami and cook until browned. Add the spaghetti sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Add the basil and stir in the cooked pasta.
• Serve with shredded parmesan cheese.

ULTIMATE PASTRAMI SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar and vinegar; add cabbage and toss to coat. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bake fries according to package directions., Drain cabbage. In a small bowl, combine the salt, celery seed, pepper and remaining sugar and vinegar; pour over cabbage and toss to coat., On an ungreased baking sheet, divide pastrami into 4 stacks; top each with cheese. Bake at 450° for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Place pastrami on 4 toast slices. Layer with fries, coleslaw, tomato slices and remaining toast. Serve immediately.