The Deli-Counter Hot Corned Beef and Slaw Sandwich
קאָרנביף·(kornbif)
The Deli Counter Lunch
Sealed inside a steaming foil packet until the fat softens, three inches of supermarket sliced corned beef hit the seedless rye over spicy brown mustard, forming a heavy mass that threatens the structural integrity of the bread. Making it at home requires no commercial equipment, just basic physics: steaming the meat in foil to properly render its fat, and heavily sweating the cabbage so it doesn't turn your bread into a soggy puddle. Wrap it tight in parchment for two minutes, then eat it standing up.
Before you start
Sweat the cabbage.
Place the coleslaw mix into a large colander, toss thoroughly with the kosher salt, and let it sit over a bowl at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Rinse the cabbage very well under cold water and pat it completely dry with paper towels.
Mix the slaw.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the first half cup of mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery seed, and black pepper. Fold in the dry, sweated cabbage and refrigerate.
Make the Russian dressing.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining half cup of mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, minced onion, minced pickle, and paprika. Stir until smooth and refrigerate.
Ingredients
- coleslaw mix14 oz
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- mayonnaise1/2 cup
- apple cider vinegar2 tbsp
- granulated sugar2 tbsp
- celery seed1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- mayonnaise1/2 cup
- ketchup3 tbsp
- prepared horseradish1 tbsp
- Worcestershire sauce1 tsp
- white onion1 tbsp
- dill pickle1 tbsp
- paprika1/4 tsp
- deli corned beef1 lb
- seeded Jewish rye bread4 large
- Swiss cheese2 large
- butter2 tbsp
- water1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Steam the corned beef.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pile the sliced corned beef into the center of a heavy-duty sheet of aluminum foil, sprinkle with exactly one tablespoon of water, and seal tightly to create an airtight packet. Bake on the middle rack for 10 to 15 minutes to melt the fat and relax the meat.
- 02
Toast the rye.
Lightly butter one side of each slice of rye bread and toast them in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- 03
Dress the bread.
Lay the toasted bread slices on a cutting board, toasted-side down, and slather a generous layer of the Russian dressing on all four slices.
- 04
Assemble the hot sandwich.
Carefully open the foil packet and use tongs to pile the hot, steaming corned beef onto the bottom slices of bread. Top immediately with the Swiss cheese so it begins to melt.
- 05
Crown with slaw and serve.
Top the cheese with a massive handful of the cold, crunchy deli slaw, close the sandwich, slice in half diagonally, and serve immediately.
Notes
Respect the celery seed.
Do not skip the celery seed in the slaw; it provides the deeply earthy, bitter counterpoint that defines true deli flavor and cuts through the rich meat.
Stovetop steaming.
If you don't want to use the oven, place a metal steamer basket in a pot with an inch of boiling water, lay the meat in the basket, cover tightly, and steam for 3 to 5 minutes.
Pastrami swap.
This precise steaming method works flawlessly for hot pastrami as well.