Pastrami with Roasted Peppers and Pepperoncini
#pastrami
The other pastrami sandwich. The rye-and-mustard one is the deli version; this is the one built out of whatever is in the jars, and it is better in hot weather.
Two different peppers doing two different jobs. Roasted red peppers are sweet and soft and they sit against the salt of the meat. Pepperoncini are sharp and briny and still crunch, and they cut it. One without the other and the sandwich is unbalanced in a way you can taste but cannot name.
Cut the pastrami thick, by hand, so every slice carries the black crust along its whole length. That is what the picture shows and it is the whole texture of the thing.
- Makes
- 4
- Hands-on
- 20 minutes
- Peppers
- Two kinds, both
- Needs
- Pastrami
What you need
The sandwich
- 1 1/2 lb pastrami, carved thick by hand
- 4 crusty split rolls
- Olive oil, for the rolls
The roasted peppers
- 4 red bell peppers
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- Salt
And
- A jar of pepperoncini, sliced into rings, drained
- Coarse black pepper
- A little of the pepperoncini brine, for the roll
How it goes
1 — Blacken the peppers whole, then skin them
Over a gas flame or under the broiler until black all over, covered in a bowl ten minutes, skins slipped off with your thumb. Torn into wide strips.
2 — Dress them and leave them an hour
Oil, vinegar, sliced garlic and salt. They go on improving for days in the fridge and they are better on day two than on the day.
3 — Carve the pastrami thick, against the grain
By hand, about the thickness of a pencil, each slice cutting straight down through the crust so the black runs the length of it. A machine slices thinner and loses that entirely.
4 — Steam it in a covered pan for two minutes
A splash of water, lid on, over medium. It loosens the fat and wakes the spice up. Never a microwave.
5 — Split the rolls and oil the cut faces
Olive oil rather than butter here, and a spoonful of the pepperoncini brine brushed on the bottom half. The brine is free seasoning and it is what ties the two peppers together.
6 — Toast them cut side down
In a dry hot pan for ninety seconds until golden. A crusty roll that has been toasted holds up under wet peppers; an untoasted one does not.
pro tip — Drain both peppers properly. Between the oil and the brine there is a lot of liquid here and the bread is the only thing that can absorb it.
7 — Meat, then roasted peppers at one side
Pastrami piled into the roll, then the roasted strips heaped along one side rather than spread flat. You want bites that are mostly meat and bites that are mostly pepper.
8 — Pepperoncini over the top, black pepper, close it
Rings scattered across the whole length, a heavy grind of black pepper, and the top on. Pressed down once with your palm.
#pastrami. Two peppers, and both of them earn their place. LFG.