Modern meets Old Fashioned…

Modern’s Old Fashioned Pastrami on Rye

Paying tribute to an old fashioned deli masterpiece.  One of the simplest, most familiar, sandwiches is pastrami on rye, and for many, it is the king of all sandwiches.

Foolproof, this  rich silky, garlicky, peppery and piled sky-high pastrami needs no bells or whistles.  The magic happens, when crafting the meat– curing, spicing, crusting, smoking and steaming.  Then, all that is needed is soft chewy seeded rye, one that has some sourness to it, along with a dusting of cornmeal on the bread’s surface.  The bread must be warm (a must) and is the perfect vehicle to add a heaping helping of Modern’s Stout Mustard, which never disappoints.  So curate high-quality meat or make your own.  This iconic sandwich is as straight-forward as it gets, but provides a taste that you remember and want over and over, keeping  you coming back for more.

I could not blog about pastrami without mentioning my favorite place in the world to have this sandwich, and it is not even in NYC.  For me, Langer’s in LA, downtown LA no less, is  truly the very best.  It is a pastrami mecca, and the pastrami sandwich is taken very seriously at this landmark restaurant.  So, if you are ever in Los Angles, this is a must-have sandwich.

Langer’s Deli

704 S. Alvarado Street

Los Angles ,90057

+ 213.483.8050  langersdeli.com

Modern’s Old Fashion Pastrami on Rye

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces thick cut pastrami  (Purchased from your local deli or make your own, recipes below)
• 4 slices of rye bread
• 2 tablespoons MDF Stout Mustard

1. Place pastrami in a skillet over medium high heat.  Cook until fat of pastrami starts to steam, cover with two slices of rye bread.  Steam bread to warm, remove bread, flip over pastrami.   Cover with remaining rye bread and steam.
2. On your work surface, place 2 slices of steamed rye bread and spread each with 1 tablespoon MDF Stout Mustard.  Layer each bread slice with 6 oz. thick cut pastrami; place two remaining slices of bread on top of pastrami.
3. Enjoy! 

Variations:

• Layer pastrami, sautéed onions and Thousand Island dressing on rye bread.
• Top with house made cole slaw
• Swiss Cheese
• Horseradish sauce
• Slice Pastrami thin and pile high

Home-Cured Beef Pastrami by Michael Ruhlman on Ruhlman.com

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces or 3/4 cups kosher salt
• 3 ounces or ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons pink salt, optional
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife
• 4 tablespoons pickling spice
• 1 5-pound beef brisket, the more fat it has the better

Rub:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peppercorn, toasted and ground (or as needed)
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed, toasted and ground (or as needed)

Directions:

1. In pot large enough to hold brisket, combine 1 gallon/4 liters of water with kosher salt, sugar, sodium nitrite (if using), garlic and 2 tablespoons pickling spice.  Bring to a simmer, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
2. Place brisket in brine, weighted with a plate to keep it submerged; cover.  Refrigerate for 2 days if it’s thin, a third day if it’s thick.
3. Remove brisket from brine and rinse thoroughly.  Refrigerate it for another day uncovered (this is best, to let cure equalize, but if you can’t wait, that’s ok too).
4. Combine the pepper and coriander and coat the brisket with it.   Smoke and cook the brisket, till tender, as described above.  Slice thinly to serve.  This will keep for a week in the refrigerated.  Steam it to reheat or reheat covered in a microwave (gently).

Pickling Spice

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon ground mace
• 2 small cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken into pieces
• 2 to 4 bay leaves, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Combine peppercorns, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a small dry pan.  Place over medium heat and stir until fragrant, being careful not to burn them; keep lid handy in case seeds pop.  Crack peppercorns and seeds in mortar and pestle or with the side of a knife on cutting board.
2. Combine with other spices, mix.  Store in tightly sealed plastic or glass container.

Pastrami Recipe for use with Smoker and Cherry Wood

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup black peppercorns
• 4 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 to 6 pound brisket flat, trimmed
• 1 qt beef stock
• 2 12 ounce bottles of beer
• 3/4  gallon cold water
• 4 tablespoons pickling spices
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons additional juniper berries
• 2 tablespoons additional black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Place peppercorns and coriander seeds in a grinder and grind until coarsely chopped.  Mix the salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger with the seasonings from the grinder.
2. Reserve 1/4 of the seasonings.  Rub the flat thoroughly on all sides with seasonings.  Wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil.  Place in a glass pan in the refrigerator.  Turn daily for at least one week, up to two weeks is better. Remove brisket from all wrappings.  Place on rack in pan so it can drain, and put uncovered in refrigerator  overnight, until very dry.
3.  Prepare smoker with cherry wood at lowest temperature while still producing smoke.   Place cold flat in the smoker. Smoke for 3 hours,
4. Remove  from smoker and place in a large dutch oven.  Cover  with  beef stock, beer and water.  Add the reserved rub, the pickling spice, the bay leaves, the additional juniper berries, and the additional black peppercorns.
5. Simmer covered until tender about 3 hours.
6. Remove from pot and slice. (cut across grain)

Recipes by Rj of Urban Table

Photo Styling & Art Direction by Traci of Urban Table

Photography & Art Direction by Heather of Heather Gill Photography

 

Modern Day Forager

An ode to ketchup and mustard…

We all know that ketchup and mustard are the king and queen reigning the condiment world, while we know there is something nostalgic about commercial brands, don’t leave it in the hands of Heinz and French’s.  Embrace making your own handcrafted customized concoctions.

Making ketchup is really quiet simple, and the flavor combinations are endless.  So why not?  If you have an abundance of tomatoes from your garden this summer, why not use these juicy orbs of goodness and build a better ketchup?

MDF FARM FRESH KETCHUP

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 small bulb fennel, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds fresh tomatoes (experiment with your favorites)
• 1 1/2 cups filtered water
• 1 cup red wine vinegar (3/4 cup if you don’t want ketchup tangy)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Place the first 12 ingredients in a large pot over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes stirring often.
2. Add the tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of water.  Turn heat to medium-high stirring often, until liquid is reduced by half.
3. Pour mixture into a food processor and process until smooth, then pour mixture through a mesh sieve into a clean pot.
4. Over medium heat stir in red wine vinegar and brown sugar, and reduce to the thickness you desire.
5. Cool and then store in refrigerator.

If you prefer a chunky style, just omit the sieve step.

Don’t hold the mustard or cut the mustard, make mustard!  This top dog condiment is surprisingly a cinch to make.  However, there are a few basics you need to understand about the process for making really good quality mustard.  First, the seeds need a good crushing and grind, and the key here is to add cold liquid (cold stout in this recipe) to add moisture to the mustard seeds.  Mustard gets its bite when the cracked seeds release volatile oils, much like capsaicin, the “hot” in chile peppers and when mixed with the liquid, the result is pungent and spicy.

Second, heat will temper the chemical reaction (much like cutting a onion) so, hot mustard, cold liquid, warmer liquid a more mellow mustard.  Also, in addition of the cold liquid remember that adding an acid is crucial to the recipe.  If you don’t add the acid, the mustard will lose its bite over time.  Adding vinegar, for instance, will stop and set the chemical reaction in place.

Mustard is extremely versatile, with many variations, it livens up and pairs well with sandwiches, cold meats, cheese, greens, burgers and hotdogs.  Rj and I are from Chicago and the only way to eat a dog is with mustard, sorry ketchup.  It also is a great emulsifying agent/stablizer for salad dressings, marinades, dips, sauces and spreads.  By making your own, you avoid all the goop of artificial flavors, fillers, colors and homemade just tastes better. 

MDF Extra Stout Mustard

 Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds, crushed
• 2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds, crushed
• 1/3 cup Cold Guinness Extra Stout
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mason jar, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Pour the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until the seeds are broken down and you reach your desired consistency, it will thicken the more you process. (You may also use an immersion blender right in jar)
3. Store in your refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.

Recipes by Rj of Urban Table

Photo Styling & Art Direction by Traci of Urban Table

Photography & Art Direction by Heather of Heather Gill Photography

Modern Day Forager