Classic Reuben Sandwich
One of the many reasons I love St. Patrick’s Day is the corned beef. Each year our family makes the classic boiled corned beef & cabbage with potatoes and carrots. While that’s great and all, the leftover corned beef is the real star for things like corned beef hash and of course the Reuben sandwich. The classic Reuben, from either New York City or Omaha, Nebraska (talk about disparate origin stories!), is a deli staple. The distinct flavor of the corned beef, the smoothness of the Swiss, the acidic bite of the sauerkraut, combined with the Russian dressing and rye bread, all together create a flavor unlike any other sandwich. If you happen to live in a large city with good delis, then stop reading here and go get one from one of them! Otherwise, keep reading to see how to make a really delicious one at home.
Now, you could just put all the ingredients together between two slices of bread and eat (like most restaurants do), and it’d be good, but we can make it way better with just a little bit of effort.
To start, slice the corned beef to about a quarter inch thickness or so, basically thin enough to reheat quickly but still thick enough to hold together throughout the whole process. What we’re going for is the Maillard reaction, which is what happens when meats get the delicious crust on them when cooked well. Get a cast iron or other heavy skillet preheated over medium-high heat, and sear both sides of each slice (work in batches if you have to, crowding leads to steaming, which does not lead to the Maillard reaction). Once they’re nice and brown on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside (they’ll stay warm enough). Reduce the heat to medium low, and we’ll start assembling the sandwich
First, spread the Russian dressing (or 1000 Island if you prefer) on one side of both slices. Divide the cheese and place on each slice. Once that’s done, we’ll get ready to grill the bread. Grilling the bread to make it nice and brown is also the Maillard reaction, plus caramelization of the sugars as well. This gives us both increased flavor and different textures. Instead of keeping soft butter around to spread on the bread, I like melting the butter in the pan, then placing the bread in it (be sure to swirl the bread around to get it all!). So, divide the butter and place one half in the pan. If it sizzles a lot, the pan is too hot, so take it off the heat for a minute. Place the first slice in the pan (cheese side up), then put half of the corned beef on top, top with the sauerkraut (don’t skip the sauerkraut; the acid and crunch really complement the other flavors), then the rest of the corned beef, then the last piece of bread. If you can, get another skillet and place on top of the sandwich; this will help both grilling the bread and compressing the sandwich, which will help it stay together and meld the flavors a bit. If the skillet isn’t heavy enough, add some weight to it, like a large can of tomato sauce, to help press the sandwich down. Start checking after a minute or so, looking for the bread to be golden brown. When it’s ready, lift the sandwich with a spatula, add the rest of the butter, and gently flip the sandwich and repeat on the other side.
When it’s done, remove and place on the cutting board. For plating most sandwiches, I like to slice into triangles and place one triangle hanging off the other (like in the image for this recipe). This gives the sandwich a bit of height, which is a super easy way to make things look even more appetizing. Eat immediately!
Riffs
While of course any of the ingredients can be subbed out, here are some of the more common ones:
- Use 1000 Island dressing instead of Russian. I’ve used both, and while I prefer the traditional Russian, I don’t find it makes a ton of difference either way.
- Using turkey instead of corned beef is super common and makes for a lighter and healthier meal.
- Any sliced bread will do in a pinch, but the rye is definitely the way to go!
Classic Reuben Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 oz corned beef sliced thin, leftovers from St. Patrick's Day meal are the best!
- 2 slices rye bread fresh from bakery or deli
- 1 tbsp Russian dressing or 1000 Island if preferred
- 2 oz Swiss cheese sliced
- 1 tbsp Sauerkraut drained
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted, divided
Instructions
- Preheat a cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced corned beef and sear until brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat.
- Meanwhile, assemble the sandwich: spread half of the Russian dressing on each slice of rye bread and add half of the Swiss cheese on top of the dressing.
- When the corned beef is browned on both sides, remove from the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low (this will help prevent the butter from burning). Add half of the butter to the pan, and when it melts, add the first slice of rye to the pan. Add about half of the corned beef on top of the cheese, then the sauerkraut, then the rest of the corned beef, then top with the other slice of bread. Put another heavy pan on top of the sandwich to press it a bit (add weight to that pan as needed; a large can of tomatoes works well) and cook until bread is browned but not burnt, about 2 minutes (start checking after 1). Once the first slice of bread is done, lift the sandwich with a spatula, add the remaining butter, and flip and cook the sandwich on the other side.
- When done, remove from the pan to a cutting board, cut the sandwich into triangles, and eat!