Tested and Perfected by Food and Wine
Pastrami-and-Mushroom "Hot Dogs"
© Fredrika Stjärne

Pastrami-and-Mushroom "Hot Dogs"

Contributed by
  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • •FAST

In this distinctive high-low recipe, Joe Beef co-chef and co-owner Frédéric Morin wanted to combine girolles (chanterelle mushrooms) with something less highbrow. "As a good chef, you can't mix all expensive things in one dish," he says. So he stuffed the mushrooms inside hot dog buns with Montreal's famous smoked meat.

  1. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. 3/4 pound assorted mushrooms, such as chanterelles, stemmed shiitake and cremini, quartered
  3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  4. 1/4 cup dry sherry
  5. 1/2 cup veal demiglace (see Note)
  6. 1/4 cup heavy cream
  7. 1 large shallot, minced
  8. 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  9. 2 tablespoons chopped chives
  10. 1/2 pound sliced pastrami
  11. 4 hot dog rolls, split and toasted
  12. 1 ounce sharp cheddar or Mimolette cheese, shredded (1/4 cup)
  1. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until tender and browned, 8 minutes. Add the sherry and boil over high heat until reduced by half, 1 minute. Add the demiglace and simmer over moderate heat until slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Add the shallot, vinegar and chives and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a nonstick skillet over moderate heat and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in it. Add the pastrami and cook until warmed through.
  3. Fill the rolls with the pastrami. Top with the mushrooms and cheese and serve.
Notes Demiglace, the rich concentrated sauce, is available at specialty markets.

Suggested Pairing

Very few wines could stand up to these over-the-top hot dogs; they need a Riesling with laser-like acidity.