Capastrami Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Place shredded cabbage, grated carrot, and thinly sliced red onion in a medium mixing bowl. Toss to combine evenly.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth.

Pour dressing over the shredded vegetables and toss until coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the rest (allows flavors to meld).

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, hot sauce (if using), lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and uniform.

Taste and adjust: add more horseradish for heat, more ketchup for sweetness, or a pinch more salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate until assembly.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of rye bread evenly with the unsalted butter.

Place two slices of bread, buttered-side down, on a work surface. Spread about 1 tablespoon of Russian dressing on each slice (the amount can be adjusted to taste).

Pile half of the pastrami (about 6 oz) onto each dressed slice. Arrange 2 slices of Swiss cheese over the pastrami on each sandwich.

Top the cheese with about 0.75 cup of prepared coleslaw per sandwich (divide the slaw evenly between the two). Add pickles if using.

Top each sandwich with the remaining bread slices, buttered-side up. Carefully transfer sandwiches to the preheated skillet or griddle.

Cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula or a heavy pan, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted and the filling is hot. If the bread browns too quickly before the cheese melts, reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan for 1–2 minutes.

Remove sandwiches from the skillet and let rest 1 minute. Slice each sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve immediately with extra Russian dressing on the side if desired.