Grilled Smoked Corned Beef and Havarti Cheese Sandwich

Sandwiches do not have to just be some meat and cheese between 2 pieces of some bread.  Sandwiches, with a bit of planning, can be elevated to a whole other level.  In this case, the elevation started the day before with the smoking of the corned beef.  We love smoked meats.  I used a small corned beef that would last much beyond the one lunch.  Then, knowing the right cheese to both compliment the smoked meat and that has good melting properties.  The last key element – the bread.  I did not have enough time to make my own.  A quick stop at Whole Foods and some sourdough bread provided a light, yet good toasting bread.

Ingredients:

• 4 lb corned beef
• 18 – 22 slices of Havarti
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 – 2 tbsp canola oil
• 6 slices of sourdough bread

Directions:

The corned beef was smoked for 4 hours or so using hickory and cherry woods for smoking.

It was then cooled for use the next day.  Be sure to take it out a good hour in advance of using it so can come to room temperature.  Slice the bread and butter the bread.  Cover each slice with 3 pieces of the Havarti cheese.  Heat a skillet on medium high heat and fill the pan with the canola oil.  When the pan is good and hot, add the bread and cheese butter side down (open face) and put a lid on the pan to promote the melting of the cheese.  This is a key technique, trick I have learned.  By cooking open face, the cheese gets a really good melt – you can get that gooey look.  When the bread is browned to your liking, remove the bread and cheese from the pan.  Finish by adding 3 slices of the corned beef which I cut pretty thin.  Enjoy!