Pastrami Slaw Sliders

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 package (12 count) Hawaiian-style sweet rolls, still connected
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 lb (454 g) thinly sliced deli pastrami
• 8 slices (about 6 oz / 170 g) Swiss cheese
• 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 1/2 cups (about 7 oz / 200 g) coleslaw mix
• 1/4 cup (60 g) mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, for the slaw
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus black pepper to taste
• Dill pickle slices, optional, for serving

How to make pastrami slaw sliders

1. Step 1.

   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Keeping the rolls connected, slice the whole sheet in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. Set the bottom half in a 9×13-inch baking dish and the top half to one side.

2. Step 2.

   Spread the 2 tablespoons Dijon over the cut sides of the bottom half. Layer 4 slices of Swiss over it, then fold or ruffle the pastrami over the cheese in an even layer. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of Swiss.

3. Step 3.

   Set the top half over the filling. Stir the melted butter, garlic, poppy seeds and Worcestershire sauce together and brush it evenly over the tops of the rolls.

4. Step 4.

   Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the tops are golden and the cheese is melted.

5. Step 5.

   While the sliders bake, whisk the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Let it sit for 10 minutes while the sliders finish.

6. Step 6.

   Rest the sliders for 5 minutes. Lift off the top half, spoon the slaw over the pastrami, add pickle slices if you like and replace the top. Cut apart along the roll lines and serve warm.

Hot meat, cold slaw

This sandwich borrows from the Pittsburgh-style combination of hot sliced meat with a vinegary slaw. Pastrami is already cured, smoked and cooked, so the oven only needs to warm it and melt the cheese. The slaw does a different job: it adds acid and crunch to meat that is fatty and peppery. If the slaw goes into the oven with everything else, it wilts and waters out. Tossing it while the sliders bake and spooning it on at the end keeps both parts at their best.

The rolls matter

Hawaiian-style rolls are soft and slightly sweet, which plays well against salty pastrami and sharp mustard. They are also very tender, so the cheese goes directly on the bottom roll as a barrier. Melted Swiss seals the bread against the juices from the meat. A thin spread of Dijon on the cut side adds sharpness without adding moisture. Keep the rolls connected as one sheet, so you can slice the whole batch in one pass and assemble it as a unit.

Pastrami: sliced thin, warmed gently

Ask the deli counter for pastrami sliced thin. Thick slices are chewy and tear the rolls when you bite. Pre-packaged pastrami works too. Ruffle or fold the slices as you layer them rather than laying them flat; loose layers heat evenly and make the sliders taller and more tender. Cooking times here assume cold meat from the refrigerator, and a foil cover for the first 15 minutes steams the filling gently until it is hot through.

The butter glaze

Garlic, poppy seeds and Worcestershire sauce give the tops a savory, rye-bread-like flavor, a nod to a classic pastrami sandwich. Fresh grated garlic distributes more evenly than chopped. Brush the butter on the tops only; butter that pools between the rolls makes the bottoms greasy.

A slaw that stays crunchy

Coleslaw mix is dressed with mayonnaise, Dijon, cider vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Mustard and vinegar give the sharpness that pastrami needs. Dress it about ten minutes before serving: long enough for the cabbage to soften slightly and absorb the dressing, short enough that it is still crunchy. If it is wetter than you like, squeeze a handful in a clean towel before spooning it on.

Serving and making ahead

Assemble the sliders through the butter step, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking, adding 5 minutes to the covered time. Keep the slaw and its dressing separate: the dressing keeps refrigerated for several days, and the cabbage can be tossed on the day. Once the slaw is on, serve within about 30 minutes. Leftover sliders without slaw keep for 3 days refrigerated; reheat wrapped in foil at 350°F for 10 minutes and add fresh slaw.

Variations

Reuben style: replace the slaw with 1/2 cup of drained sauerkraut and a drizzle of Russian dressing.

Provolone: swap provolone for Swiss for a milder, stretchier melt.