I worked at a Deli/Sandwich shop for two summers in college. We sold a variety of Sandwiches. Our mainstay was Pastrami on Rye (with Mustard). We also had Corned beef . Both were kept in a steam table so they were cut and served hot. I don’t imagine modern health laws would allow it, thogh I’m pretty certain the meats were above the safe serve temperature. We also would make ruebens (side note: DO NOT try to get a reuben at an actual kosher delicatessen, The presence of beef and cheese makes it instantly unkosher) using the corned beef, swiss and some sauerkraut on the grill. We stopped making them as almost no one ordered them even in the early ’80s and keeping decent sauerkraut on hand was a pain (once opened it has a tendency to get REALLY nasty after sitting a week in a fridge even in glass). We also made subs of various sorts (Grinders in CT talk, perhaps in deference to actual subs in Groton CT?) with fresh cut deli meats ( Mostly Italians made with Genoa, Capicolla and Bolgna the actual Mortadella being rather pricey). I could of course produce grilled cheese or grilled ham and cheese.
If you like pastrami, there is a little trick I learned from a local Bagel Shop. Take a good-quality pastrami (E.g. Boar’s Head Point Cut, Do you have Stop & Shop in Dunwich, they usually carry it, though the price will make your wallet scream) sliced medium to thin. Place about 1/4 lb per sandwich in a microwave safe bowl sort of scattered so there is some space inbetween slices (just pile it, don’t leave it flat like it comes from the deli). Sprinkle with water (just a bit) and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 60-90 seconds (more for more sandwiches). Remove bowl from microwave and remove plastic wrap (CAUTION!! the steam coming up from the pastrami WILL burn you, and you’ll want tongs to handle the meat). Place the meat on your bread of choice with condiments (Preferred is Pumpernickel Rye with a little splash of Dijon style mustard), Cheese placed on the meat will likely melt, I’m not a fan of cheese (and cheese is not a fan of me in most cases). Corned beef will work too, making a Reuben is straightforward with the heated corned beef and is left as an exercise to the reader.
Very good approximation to a decent deli sandwich with meat taken from a steam table (trust me I know 🙂 ). Tends to be a bit drier but still better than pastrami cold, which is, well, kind of bleagh,
The Butcher of Dunwich only works in arcane meats. But if I set up a series of eldritch signs on my driveway I can cross over onto mundane Southern New England. Stop and Shop, Price Chopper and other supermarkets await me in that more familiar but no less annoying reality.
I’m about halfway between amused and bemused at this particular point of commonality among the folk here.
Well, we’re bound to have some commonalities. But I imagine we’re all people who like to enjoy life. And a good reuben is a pretty good way to enjoy lunch.
And New England (Plus New York and New Jersey) have some of the largest populations of Eastern European Jewry outside Israel itself. These deli meats come out of a combination of kosher usage and common Eastern European usage. So many of us have been exposed to Deli food, and it like most peasant food, is rich and delicious to make sure you can keep working and made a good way for folks to make money. Other parts of the country with different ethnic backgrounds have different foods, but we got the Italians and Ashkenazi Jewish and it shows. We also… Read more »
I think the combination of various ethnic foods and the abundance of beef and other meats in early 20th century America and the English propensity for making everything into a sandwich produced a good environment for a hearty, tasty and varied cuisine. But whatever sparked it I celebrate (and consume) it.
Yeah the food scene in 1960’s was VERY limited. Steak Joints, Seafood, Howard Johnson’s, Friendlies and the occasional Italian joint serving Pizza and dishes like Veal parmigiana and Spaghetti and meatballs. The Deli I was at was owned by a man of Italian ancestry from New Haven. He had gotten fixed on the Jewish Deli Tradition from having spent time in NYC and down towards NYC. Today the variety is astounding: Chinese (real not Polynesian 🙂 ), Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Brazilian, Mediterranean, as well as American traditions like BBQ not native to New England. Comparing what I ate as a… Read more »