Venison Reuben Sandwich
Reubens are a sandwich that I have grown to enjoy more and more as I get older. The combination of salty corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, and good chewy bread is incredibly satisfying. For this sandwich you can use the corned beef recipe from earlier this year. I decided to take it a step further and season and smoke the meat to make pastrami. I also used a venison roast that I had in the freezer, but this would be equally delicious with a good brisket. We used a jar of sauerkraut that we had made, but you can find some really good sauerkraut in stores now, so feel free to use what you can get your hands on. We also made a loaf of pumpernickel bread instead of the classic rye. As a side note, bread is a great way to involve kids in cooking. It is messy, fun, and a great way to introduce some learning into process. This is one of those recipes that is not complicated, but truly comes down to the quality of the ingredients, so make sure you get the best you can.
Ingredients
Corned Beef or Pastrami
1 Loaf Pumpernickel Bread
Whole Grain Mustard
Sauerkraut
Swiss Cheese
3 Tablespoons Butter
The Bread
3/4 Tablespoon Dry Active Yeast
2 1/2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Molasses
1 1/2 Cup Water, Room Temperature
1 1/2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Rye Flour
2 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Preparing The Meal
In large bowl combine the rye and all-purpose flour, yeast, cocoa powder and salt. Next, in a measuring cup mix together the water and molasses. Then, add the water mixture to the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon. Mix until the dough is uniformly moist. This should take only a few minutes, because the dough is supposed to be wet and loose.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, about 2 hours. After the initial rise, shape the dough into a ball in the bowl by stretching the sides into the center, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Cover the dough and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes more, and repeat the folding process one more time. Cover and let rise for another 20 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl onto your work surface, and form into a large round loaf by folding the edges underneath the ball on all sides, pulling tight to make a smooth surface. Place your formed loaf onto a piece of parchment paper dusted with cornmeal. Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and allow to rise for 1 hour. While the bread rises, preheat your oven to 400 F, with a lidded dutch oven on the middle rack.
When ready to bake, remove the towel and use a sharp knife to slash the top of the loaf with diagonal cuts. Remove the dutch oven and lid, and gently place the loaf into the dutch oven by holding the corners of the parchment paper. Place the lid back on the dutch oven and place back in the oven, and bake covered for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until firm, rotating once halfway through. The internal temperature should be 200 F. Once fully baked, remove from the dutch oven and place on a wire rack to cool before slicing.
If you want to make pastrami, follow the corned beef brining recipe. After the meat has brined, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry with a paper towel. Next, combine 2 tablespoons black pepper, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon paprika, and 1 tablespoon mustard seed in a small bowl. Then, generously rub the spice mixture on the surface of the meat. Preheat your smoker to 225 F. When the smoker is ready, place the meat in the smoker, and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 145 F. When the meat is done smoking, remove from the smoker and prepare for steaming. Preheat your oven to 275 F. Put about an inch of water in a roasting pan. Then, place the meat on a wire rack above the liquid, and cover tightly with lid. Steam the meat in the oven for one hour. After an hour, remove from the oven and allow the pastrami to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
To assemble your sandwiches, slice the corned beef or pastrami, Swiss cheese and enough bread for the number of sandwiches you want to make. Melt some butter in a heavy cast iron skillet. While the butter melts build the sandwich by smearing whole grain mustard on the bottom slice, layer on the slices of meat, then layer on the slices of cheese, and generously top with sauerkraut. Place the sandwich into the pan and toast the bottom until it begins to brown. Carefully flip the sandwich and toast the other side until lightly browned. Remove the sandwich from the pan, slice in half and enjoy immediately.