In this installment
Corned Beef & Pastrami Reuben Recipe
Zingerman’s First Cut Lean Pastrami
Pumpernickel Bread
Sandwich fixings
Brownie Bites
Corned Beef & Pastrami Reuben Recipe
To most folks, Jewish delis have two meats: corned beef and pastrami. This version of our famous Reuben sandwich is just a touch spicier than the original, and that’s the way we like it!
- Place the naked loaf in the middle of a 350℉ oven for 15 minutes.
- Take the meat out of its pouch and portion what you’re going to use. At Zingerman’s it’s 4 ounces per nosher-sized sandwich, so you can make four sandwiches with all your ingredients.
- Lay the meat in a pile on the aluminum foil. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water on top then fold the foil closed. Place in the oven alongside the bread to steam for 10 minutes.
- Take the loaf out of the oven. Careful—it’s hot! Grip the “twice baked” loaf with a towel in your hand. Roll the loaf up on its side. Cut one inch slices at a 30 degree angle. Protractor not required.
- Slather Russian dressing on each slice of bread. Don’t skimp, make it thick! Place one slice Emmentaler Swiss in the middle and close the sandwich.
- Warm empty skillet on medium heat. Brush the outsides of the sandwich with a tablespoon of olive oil or butter. Grill each side for 2-3 minutes until browned to your liking, the cheese just melting. Remove from skillet.
- Open sandwich. Place 2 overflowing tablespoons of sauerkraut on top of the Emmentaler Swiss. Heap the steaming meat in folds on the other half. Close sandwich.
- Cut sandwich in half. Like Cary Grant, we prefer to cut it with a bread knife at a North by Northwest angle, the blade running from 10 o’clock to 4 o’clock. Serve and enjoy!
Zingerman’s First Cut Lean Pastrami
Pastrami is the rich, spicy cousin to corned beef. It comes from the First Cut and is brined cured with a load of spices like black pepper and clove. Then the pastrami is smoked over hickory, making for incredible depth of flavor.
Here in Ann Arbor, our customers voted our pastrami laden Binny’s Brooklyn Reuben as our best sandwich. Note that pastrami, a different cut of the cow than corned beef brisket, is usually fattier and a little chewier. And in my book fattier = flavorful-ier.
Pumpernickel Bread
Dark and rich, this loaf is made with organic wheat flour and real pumpernickel flour—which is a lot rarer than you’d think. I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s probably the best pumpernickel made in America today.
Sandwich Fixings from our Kitchen
We make the Russian dressing in our kitchen using the same recipe that made us famous all those years ago. We hand slice and wrap the Emmentaler Swiss cheese and the sauerkraut is made by The Brinery here in Ann Arbor. It provides a crunchy, bright, sour character to the Reuben sandwich that melds the soft bread, melty Swiss, savory meat and rich Russian dressing together. It’s also great on its own and good for your gut. (That’s a big deal these days). Made from organically grown cabbage from farms around Ann Arbor.
No-Nut & Magic Brownie Bites
For more than three decades we sold them in one size only: huge. Now we’ve cut them down to a quarter of their original size and individually wrapped—a bite or two and you’re done.
Magic Brownie
The original. Soft, chocolatey, chewy interior dotted with toasted walnuts and covered with a thin chocolate crust. USA Today raved about them. So will you. Worth noting that Magic Brownies are more cake like than moist and fudgy.
Black Magic Brownie
Same great brownie as the original—without nuts.