Reuben Sandwich recipe!
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
35 mins
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Servings
5
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Course
Main Course
Reuben Sandwich recipe!
Description
The Reuben Sandwich recipe calls for thinly sliced homemade pastrami, toasted rye bread, and melted Swiss cheese, combined with quick sauerkraut made by cooking shredded cabbage with vinegar, sugar, salt, and optional caraway seeds. The Russian dressing mixes mayonnaise, sour cream, sriracha, horseradish, and other ingredients to deliver a creamy, mildly spicy flavor with a tangy complement to the rich pastrami.
Assembly involves spreading butter and Russian dressing on toasted rye slices, layering with warm pastrami drained of excess juices, Swiss cheese, and quick sauerkraut, then grilling the sandwich until the cheese melts and the bread is crisped. The process balances smoky, spicy, and sour notes while preserving the sandwich's textures. The caraway seeds in the sauerkraut add a distinctive aromatic element often absent in quick sauerkraut versions.
This particular recipe emphasizes the importance of using homemade pastrami for authentic texture and flavor, favoring thin slicing of cold pastrami to maintain the integrity of the meat. The Russian dressing can be prepared in advance and kept refrigerated for up to two weeks. The quick sauerkraut stores refrigerated for about two weeks and offers a tangy addition that is quicker than traditional fermentation.
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb pastrami Note 1, homemade, 1 quantity, easy!
- 10 lices rye bread light
- 10 lices swiss cheese
- butter , for spreading
Quick Sauerkraut:
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1/2 onion , thinly sliced
- 350g/ 12 oz cabbage thinly shredded (1/4 large head, 6 - 8 big handfuls, white
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup (85 ml) water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp caraway seeds , optional (Note 2)
Russian Dressing:
- 1 tbsp onion , finely minced
- 1 tbsp dill pickle finely minced, aka gherkin
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream (can sub more mayo)
- 2.5 tbsp sriracha or 1/4 cup ketchup + 2 tsp tabasco) (Note 3, or spicy ketchup or chili sauce
- 3 tsp horseradish (jar), to taste (spicy/tang)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp paprika sweet
Instructions
Russian Dressing:
- Mix ingredients, refrigerate 20 minutes+ (keeps 2 weeks).
Quick Sauerkraut:
- Dissolve sugar and salt in vinegar.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes to soften, don't let it brown.
- Add cabbage, vinegar, water and caraway seeds, give it a toss.
- Cover, cook on low for 15 minutes, mixing once at 10 minutes.
- Transfer to container (including liquid), cool until just warm. Keeps 2 weeks in the fridge.
Prepare Pastrami:
- Thinly slice still cold pastrami (Note 1). Place in a container with a couple of tablespoons of pastrami liquid (reserved from cooking, see pastrami recipe).
- Microwave to warm through (or use other method of choice etc cover with foil and place in oven).
Assemble Reuben:
- Preheat grill/broiler to medium high with shelf about 25cm/10" from heat source.
- Toast bread. Spread with butter, then 1 tbsp Russian Dressing on each piece.
- Pick up pastrami and let excess juices drip away, then place on bread.
- Do same for sauerkraut, pile onto pastrami, then top with cheese.
- Also place cheese on other slice of bread (ie with just Russian Dressing).
- Place under grill until cheese is just melted. Sandwich together and devour while hot!
Notes
- Make homemade pastrami as specified for optimal flavor and texture; store-bought slices lack the desired tenderness and crust.
- Slice the pastrami cold for easier handling and less crumbling before warming it gently in its cooking juices.
- Caraway seeds in quick sauerkraut provide a distinctive flavor that compensates for lack of fermentation time and are optional.
- Russian dressing stores well refrigerated and offers a spicy, tangy layer essential to the sandwich's character.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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