Steaming Hot Pastrami Sandwich

What are your Saturdays like? In our house, Saturdays are divided into two parts. The first is necessity, the second is pleasure.

Necessity – those errands that need to be run. Maybe it’s a trip to the hardware store for a home-improvement project or maybe a garden center in preparation for spring planting. Almost without fail, there’s a trip to the supermarket. That leaves the afternoons open for pleasure. Perhaps there’s a fair or festival to attend. Maybe it’s a drive up into the hills in search of treasures to be found at flea markets or community garage sales.

More often than not, Saturday supper is casual at the end of a whirlwind day. Which is why National Hot Pastrami Day hits the mark with me. It’s still cold outside. So a warm sandwich is perfect. We can curl up on the sofa, enjoy our toasty sandwiches and talk about the day – where we’ve been, what’s been accomplished and what has yet to be done.

Hot Pastrami Sandwich
8 oz sliced Pastrami
8 slices Sourdough Bread
4 tablespoons Mayonnaise
4 tablespoons Spicy Deli-Style Brown Mustard
8 slices Swiss Cheese

Remove Pastrami from the refrigerator, lay out and let the meat warm a bit. Cut foil to wrap the Pastrami. Wrap with a little “wiggle room” for steam to circulate. Poke holes in the top and bottom of the foil. Place Pastrami package inside a steamer basket. Pour about a cup of water into the insert of the Instant Pot. Lock lid in place, select STEAM-CUSTOM-30 MINUTES. Press start. Once the time is up, open Instant Pot, remove foil pack and set aside until ready to use warmed Pastrami

Warm a griddle to medium heat. Lay parchment paper (for easy clean up) on a cutting board or flat work surface.

Lay out sourdough bread. Spread about a half a tablespoon of mayonnaise over each slice of bread. Turn bread over (mayonnaise side down) and spread about a half a tablespoon of mustard on the bread slices. Top four slices of bread with one slice each of the Swiss Cheese. Top cheese with 2 ounces of Pastrami. Place a second slice of Swiss on top of the Pastrami. Close sandwiches with remaining slice of sourdough bread, mustard-side down mayo side up.

Place sandwiches on the griddle. Place a rimmed baking sheet upside down over the sandwiches. This will help hold in the heat, warm the filling and melt the cheese. Grill, undisturbed, for about 3 or 4 minutes. Lift cover, check underside of bread. Once golden, flip. Continue to grill, uncovered, until golden and warmed through.

Plate sandwiches, cut with a serrated knife and secure with cocktail picks. Serve with fries or onion rings and a pickle spear for that Deli touch.