If you were to make an informal survey, asking, “What is the most popular deli sandwich?” I think that pastrami and corned beef on rye would frequently be on and near the top of the list. The brisket in its many guises has been a mainstay of the delicatessen for a long time. That being said, how do we go about making a corned beef on rye at home?

The easiest way, of course, is to pick up a loaf of hot and fresh rye bread and some deli-sliced corned beef from the supermarket. Add that to the mustard and pickles in your fridge and you have the makings of a corned beef on rye sandwich made to your exact preferences. To that end, what follows is how I make my sandwich. However, greater satisfaction can be gleaned if you make some of the sandwich parts from scratch. See my favorite home-made rye bread recipe and cooking a corned beef.

• Corned beef, thinly sliced (homemade or deli)
• Mustard, yellow or brown to taste

• Rye bread (homemade or bakery)
• Dill pickle, slices or spears to taste (yes, those can be homemade too)

1. If you have cooked your own corned beef, cut across the grain and as thinly as possible. That will provide the most tender filling for your sandwich.
2. Apply mustard to taste to both slices of bread to make a uniformly moist sandwich.

   

3. Layer corned beef slices to taster; curtain folding the meat slices makes little air pockets that makes for an easier, more tender bite.
4. Add dill pickle slices or spears to taste. Cover with the other slice of bread.
5. Cut the sandwich diagonally or at least on a bias to make a tapered end for an easy first bite of sandwich. Served at room temperature or heated, the corned beef on rye is a classic sandwich that has a long history of satisfying discriminating palates.