Reuben Sandwich

By Kay Chun

Updated June 23, 2021

Reuben Sandwich
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(902)
Comments
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Like many classic dishes, the Reuben sandwich has multiple origin stories: Some accounts trace its origins to the since-shuttered Reuben’s delicatessen in New York City, where Arthur Reuben created a special for one of Charlie Chaplin’s leading ladies in 1914, using ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and coleslaw on rye. Another origin story points to a customer, Reuben Kulakofsky, who was said to have ordered a corned beef and sauerkraut sandwich at Blackstone Hotel, in Omaha, where Bernard Schimmel obliged by rounding it out with Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese, rye bread and a hot grill. Today’s Reuben sandwiches feature corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a healthy smear of Russian dressing between toasted, buttered rye. Homemade dressing has a brighter, fresher flavor than the bottled variety, and comes together in just a few turns of a whisk. To achieve the prized crispy crust and gooey cheese, keep the heat low enough to allow the buttered bread to toast while the cheese melts.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 sandwiches

    For the Russian Dressing

    • ½cup mayonnaise
    • 5tablespoons ketchup
    • 3tablespoons dill pickle relish (not sweet)
    • 1tablespoon minced onion
    • 1teaspoon yellow mustard
    • 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

    For the Sandwiches

    • 8slices rye sandwich bread
    • 4tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 1pound thinly sliced corned beef
    • 1cup drained sauerkraut (about 6 ounces)
    • 8slices Swiss cheese (about 6 ounces)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

899 calories; 67 grams fat; 24 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 21 grams monounsaturated fat; 16 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 2503 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the Russian dressing: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

  2. Step 2

    Make the sandwiches: Spread one side of each bread slice with ½ tablespoon butter. In a large nonstick skillet, arrange 2 slices of bread, buttered side down, over medium-low heat. Spread 2 tablespoons of Russian dressing on each slice of bread, then top each with ¼ pound corned beef, ¼ cup sauerkraut and 2 slices cheese. Top each with 1 slice of bread, buttered side up. Cook until golden and crispy underneath, about 5 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and cook, pressing down gently with a spatula, until second side is golden and cheese melts, about 3 minutes more. Transfer sandwiches to plates and wipe out skillet. Repeat with the remaining bread, sauce, corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese. Serve warm.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
902 user ratings
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Comments

Lori Penner

I find it makes for a less mushy sandwich if you cook the sauerkraut separately in a small frypan prior to putting on the sandwich. This way rhe sauerkraut is already hot and dry, and the sandwich will not get soggy.

John

Russian dressing MUST include horseradish. That is the main thing that distinguishes it from Thousand Island. And it is essential to the Reuben. Why? The reason the Reuben is a great sandwich is because it contains, among its various ingredients, a good balance of all the basic flavors (sweet, sour, salt, bitter, umami). Without the horseradish the bitter is missing, and the sandwich just isn't the sublime creation it can and should be.

EW

Can’t the sandwich just be enjoyed for the sheer goodness of it? Does there always have to be something “beneficial“ about what we eat? Maybe we can just eat cold sauerkraut another time to get those beneficial bacteria

Rob D

I have made many Reubens over the years, but this was THE BEST that I ever created, thanks to Kay Chun, thank you. I had to use Boars Head Pastrami instead of Corned Beef since my local Kroger had gone through all that they had on Friday. Probably for Super Bowl party trays. This was so good with grocery store marbled rye. So good I had two! Making my own Russian dressing was a real benefit too.

Sarah H

I had leftover corned beef and decided to turn it into this Reuben and it was excellent. I made a few small swaps based on what I had on hand and would happily do them again. I prepared the sandwich open-faced on homemade sourdough to save some calories, and for the Russian dressing I used olive-oil mayo and jalapeño dill relish, which added a great bit of zip. I also substituted Gruyère for the Swiss, and it melted beautifully. I left out the butter too and put the dressing directly on the bread, then the meat, cheese and sauerkraut The only change I’d make next time the way I did it is to toast the bread first before assembling and finishing the sandwich in the oven. I used convection bake at 350 until the cheese melted, and it came out perfectly gooey. A great way to use up leftovers - this one’s a keeper.

germanyman

This one was tricky because what they sell in Germany as ''corned beef'' is camping food that tastes like tuna. Actual corned beef is sold as ''Rinderbrust'' but it seems to be difficult to find in supermarkets. The amounts of meat and Sauerkraut per sandwich recommended by this recipe are too high in my opinion, so later I improvised and added more of the Russian dressing and a bit less of everything else, which helped. I also had difficulties to get the cheese melt without burning the toast, there seemed to be no sweet spot. Overall what I find frustrating is that Russian Dressing is on the list of beginner recipes but then its use case, namely Reuben Sandwich, is not. I'm new to cooking and failing at seemingly simple recipes like this one can take a lot of the joy. I think Russian Dressing should be either removed from the begginer's recipe list, or some other beginner friendly recipe should be listed where you can use it.

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