Capastrami Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Shred the green and red cabbage finely and grate the carrot. Place all shredded vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl with the vegetables.

Toss everything together until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate the coleslaw at least 20 minutes while you prepare sandwich components to let flavors meld.

Whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.

Taste and adjust heat or acidity as desired. Refrigerate until ready to assemble; dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Butter one side of each of the 8 rye bread slices (about 4 tablespoons total).

On the unbuttered side of 4 bread slices, spread about 1 tablespoon of Russian dressing each.

Pile about 4 ounces (approximately 1/4 lb) of hot pastrami on top of the dressed side of each of those 4 slices. Top the pastrami with two slices of Swiss cheese per sandwich.

Place the remaining 4 bread slices on top of the cheese with the buttered side facing out.

Place sandwiches on the preheated skillet. Cook 3–4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted and pastrami is heated through. If cheese is slow to melt, cover the skillet for 1–2 minutes to trap steam.

Remove sandwiches from skillet and let rest 1 minute. Open each sandwich and place about 1/2 cup of prepared coleslaw on top of the cheese inside, then close the sandwich. If desired, add a light extra drizzle (about 1 teaspoon) of Russian dressing inside before adding coleslaw for extra tang.

Slice sandwiches in half and serve immediately with dill pickle spears on the side.