A hot pastrami sandwich can only be improved in one way, to make it into a panini. So that’s what I did. Panini-ing a sandwich nine times out of 10 will serve to elevate it to a new level. This is no exception.
If you have never tried pastrami, you are really missing out. Whatever can be done to this meat has been done. It has been brined, dried, highly seasoned, smoked, and steamed. With the care that it takes to produce a deli meat such as this, it is only right to treat it with the reverence it deserves. In most cases pastrami meat that is found in your run of the mill grocer’s deli is beef, but it can be made from pork, mutton or turkey. In this case we are sticking to the beef variety.
Traditionally served hot, paired with mustard and cole slaw and some sort of rye bread, this sandwich is anything but ordinary. I have taken the traditional and modernized it a bit using a marble rye, a Dijon mustard and a home-made Honey Mustard Slaw, oh and a panini press! Can you say yum?
Freshly sliced deli pastrami.
Place slices on skillet all separately.
I chose to use marble rye bread. The rye is pretty traditional for a pastrami sandwich, the marble (the darker part) is a pumpernickel bread which adds just a touch of sweetness which will be reflected later in the sandwich building.
This is a stone ground Dijon mustard.
Spread evenly on the bottom of bread. This acts as glue and adds some great flavor.
Fry up the pastrami until it looks like this. This should take about 5-7 minutes on med. heat.
I know you can’t see it, but this is six pieces of pan-fried pastrami on top of that bottom piece of bread with the mustard spread on it.
Add two slices of cheese. I chose to use some deli sliced American, but a swiss, provolone or even a mild cheddar would be good here as well.
Pile on some Honey Mustard Slaw. This is great because it will echo the stone ground Dijon we used on the bottom bread slice.
Get a little veggie oil going on your grill pan. This is the Pampered Chef square grill pan. (I love this pan!) Heat on high.
Place the grill press on the pre-heating pan to heat up itself. This way when it’s placed on top, it can start the grilling process.
Place your built sandwiches on the grill pan. (My husband isn’t a slaw guy)
Place grill press on top of the sandwiches.
Remove panini from the pan when grill marks have formed and cheese is sufficiently melted.
Hot Pastrami Panini
Serves 2Ingredients:
12 slices thinly sliced deli pastrami
4 slices Marble Rye bread
4 slices cheese (Swiss, American or provolone)
1/2 cup Honey Mustard Slaw
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. Vegetable oil
Directions:
Pan fry pastrami on a skillet over medium/high heat until edges get a bit crispy.
Prepare two slices of bread with 1 tsp Dijon mustard each. Add 6 slices of hot pastrami to each slice of bread right on top of the mustard. Add two slices of cheese to each sandwich. Add 1/4 cup of Honey Mustard Slaw to each. Top each with the two remaining slices of bread.
Heat grill pan with about 2 Tbs. veggie oil with the panini press on top. Once pan is very hot, place both sandwiches on the pan and press the heated panini press on top of both. Cook until cheese is melted and bread has nice grill marks on top. (The sandwiches may need to be flipped to achieve good grill marks.)
Serve hot, enjoy!