October 13, 2022
This is a labor of love and will last many meals...but it's worth it. I had some homemade rye sourdough. in my freezer, but ran out just before making the sandwich pictured above. So, the one part of this sandwhich that is not home made, is the rye bread.
To make the sandwhich, you want to have some thousand island dressing on both pieces of bread (butter both the undersides first), then gruyere cheese slices on both pieces, then on one of the slices, l ayer the pastrami. and sauerkraut. Close the sandwhich and grill it over the stove until the bread is crisp & lightly browned, and the cheese is melted. I often place one cast iron on top of the other to help memlt the cheese before the bread gets too brown. Delicious! Recipes for dressing, sauerkraut and pastrami are below.
Sauerkraut
I finely slice one green and one red head of cabbage, using a mandolin, with very clean hands & tools. I then weigh it all. I add 2 tsp of kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal) to each pound of sliced cabbage. In a large bowl, I then mix it really well while squeeing the salt into the cabbage. I then add juniper berries, caraway seeds and a little dried or fresh dill. The amount you add depends on your tastes. Write down what you use the first time, and then adjust for your next batch. This will make 2 large canning jars of sauerkraut, or about 6-7 cups total. I then leave it out for about two weeks, opening the lids each day to let the air escape. Then I move it to the fridge. I generally use it within a few months, but it will stay good for much longer than that. (I recommend the book, The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor Katz. I have some spaghetti squash and garlic ferments going now, inspired after re-reading segments of this book, and my sneak taste gave me a hint that they're going to be delicious...thank you Sandor!)
Pastrami
Make the brine on the day you purchase the meat. Make sure the brisket smells and looks fresh. You will leave the meat in this brine for 5 days.
4 lb brisket (this will serve 8-10 people...hearty size sandwiches)
Warm over the stove until fragrant, and then crush in a spice mill (or mortar and pestle):
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp allspice berries
1 tsp pink peppercorns
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp whole cloves
2 tsp juniper berries
3 bay leaves
Add the ground spices above to a large saucepan, along with:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
2" knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves,peelied and sliced
2 quarts of water
Heat over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Let cool, then put in a gallon Ziploc baggie with the meat. Remove as much air as possible and then place selaed baggie into a bowl, and then into fridge. Shift/turn the baggie a bit once per day, for 5 days. Take out of the fridge about 12 hours before you plan on eating your sandwich. On the first day of enjoying these, we have it for dinner, not lunch. We then eat the leftovers over the next week, for lunches. :-)
Drain off the brine, and rinse, then soak the meat in fresh water (in the fridge) for one hour. Repeat this two more times. After the 3rd rinse though, let the meat sit on the counter in room temperature water for one hour. During this last hour of soaking, preheat the oven or outdoor smoker to 250 F. (I use a stovetop/oven smoker with applewood chips in the bottom. Follow instructions on your stovetop smoker if you have one, for the amount of wood chips.)
Prepare the rub:
Warm over the stove until fragrant, and then crush in a spice mill (or mortar and pestle):
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp pink peppercorns1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp fennel seeds
Then mix in:
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbs Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic, diced
Take the brisket out of its soaking water and dry very well with paper towels. Then apply the rub, making sure all exposed meat is covered and the rub is massaged well into the meat. Dust off and discard excess rub, if there is any. Cook for about 4 hours until the meat reaches 160 F. Remove the meat and double wrap it in foil. Return to the oven and continue to cook at 250 F, until the internal temp reaches 200 F. This will take about 2-4 hours in an oven, or 1-2 hours in an outdoor smoker.
Let it rest on the counter, in foil over a rack, for an hour after cooking. Then it's ready for slicing and sandwiches! While it's cooking or resting, make the dressing:
1,000 Island Dressing
Whisk to combine:
1 small shallot, diced (or about 1 tbsp)
1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp gherkin pickle juice
2 tsp finely diced fresh dill
2 tsp finely diced chives
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp ketchup
4-6 gherkin pickles, diced
1/4 cup good, thick homemade or prepared mayonnaise
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