Pastramireuben Pizza Mash Up Recipes

PASTRAMI/REUBEN PIZZA MASH-UP

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone or an inverted rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F.
• Dust a piece of parchment paper lightly with flour. Stretch or roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch round on the parchment, then transfer the dough on the parchment to a pizza peel or another inverted rimmed baking sheet.
• Brush the pizza all over with the butter and sprinkle with the caraway seeds. Top with half of the Swiss cheese, then sprinkle over 1/4 cup of the sauerkraut. Add the pastrami, overlapping the slices, then top with the remaining slices of Swiss cheese.
• Slide the pizza on the parchment onto the pizza stone or rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Drizzle the pizza with Russian dressing and top with the remaining 1/2 cup sauerkraut and the gherkins.

PASTRAMI REUBEN APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Drain sauerkraut, but do not rinse.
• Combine sauerkraut with thousand island dressing.
• Place single layer of rye bread on baking sheet.
• Place 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut mixture in center of each slice.
• Top with 2 thin slices of pastrami and 1/2 slice of Swiss cheese.
• Heat under broiler for 5 or more minutes till cheese melts.

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 REUBEN BREAD BOXES

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Wrap the sliced pastrami in foil and put on to a baking sheet. Remove 1/4 inch of the crust from the ends of the loaf, then cut the loaf crosswise into 4 even pieces. Use a fork to score one cut end and gently dig a square hole into each piece of bread to make a box, leaving a 1/2-inch layer of bread around the walls and bottom (see Cook's Note). Save the removed crumbs for another use.
• Microwave the butter and a large pinch of salt in a small microwave-safe bowl until melted, about 1 minute. Brush the bread boxes inside and out with the melted butter. Put 1 slice of cheese at the bottom of each bread box. Put the boxes open-side up on the same baking sheet as the pastrami and bake until the cheese melts and the inside of the bread is lightly browned and crispy in parts, about 10 minutes. The pastrami should be warmed through.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt if needed. Set aside.
• Layer each bread box with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the dressing, a quarter of the pastrami, a quarter of the sauerkraut and top with 2 more slices of cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve whole or cut in half.