Although with disputed origins, the hearty Reuben Sandwich is a much loved north American classic, now appearing on deli, diner and cafe menus across the globe.
The next installment of our Sando Series, the Reuben was the people's choice of sandwich on my Instagram Stories, winning out over a chicken, cheese and gravy sub, an egg and lettuce sanga and the French croque madame. I've never made my own Reuben sandwich before, although I have eaten my fair share, so I was ready to take it on for the series.
Where would you say the Reuben sits on the sandwich alignment chart as per my last post? I guess since it's a classic, you'd go with a hardline traditionalist right? We're not going to stray away from the classic ingredients or composition for this post. Let's give the Reuben the respect it deserves.
It's very easy to simplify this sandwich. If you've ever googled a Katz's Delicatessen Reuben sandwich, it could seem like quite an intimidating sandwich to make yourself, but you can buy all of the ingredients at your local supermarket. Granted, I'd recommend making the corned beef yourself if you prefer lovely, thick slices of meat. With the sauerkraut, if you're good with time management, make your own for improved texture. Otherwise, you could buy this as well!
For full disclosure, I bought all the ingredients for this sandwich. Usually I'd make my own corned beef, but in all honesty, I couldn't be bothered. My go-to method is to boil the corned beef (rather than roast it), but you can do either or. I wasn't prepared enough for this post to have made sauerkraut well in advanced, so I bought the Polish variety from my supermarket and it worked a treat.
Make your Reuben as fancy or simple as you please, I guarantee that you'll be satisfied either way with this classic combo of ingredients.
Reuben Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 slices dark rye bread
- 4 tablespoons Russian dressing
- 6 slices corned beef
- ½ cup sauerkraut
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
Russian dressing
- ¼ cup whole egg mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white or brown onion finely minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot chilli sauce e.g. sriracha
- ½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce e.g. tabasco
- 1 teaspoon horseradish cream
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- To make the Russian dressing, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat grill to 180ºC. Place bread on a lined baking tray and grill until golden brown on one side - approximately five minutes. Flip the bread slices over to the softer side.
- Smear one tablespoon of Russian dressing on each slice of bread. On one side layer corned beef, followed by sauerkraut and two slices of the Swiss cheese. On the topside of the bread, place the remaining one slice atop of the Russian dressing.
- Grill for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is oozy and melted. Sandwich both sides together. Spear with a bamboo skewer to keep in shape. Serve with pickles or cornichons.
Looking for more sandwich ideas? Check out my roast pork, kimchi and cheese toastie or a classic hamburger (if you consider that a sandwich 😉).
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