Reuben Sandwich
Category	Sandwich recipes
Servings	1
Time	prep: 5 mins cooking: 10 minutes
Difficulty

Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes

| Sandwiches

The Reuben or Reuben sandwich is a grilled or toasted sandwich made with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing. It is typically made with rye bread though originally it may have been served on pumpernickel bread.

The origins of the Reuben are contested. One account holds that Reuben Kulakofsky (sometimes spelled Reubin), a grocer from Omaha, Nebraska, was the inventor, perhaps as part of a group effort by members of Kulakofsky's weekly poker game held in the Blackstone Hotel from ca. 1920-1935. The participants, who nicknamed themselves "the committee," included the hotel's owner, Charles Schimmel. The sandwich first gained local fame when Schimmel put it on the Blackstone's lunch menu.

Authentic Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ pound (225g) sliced corned beef
• ¼ cup (60ml) drained sauerkraut
• 2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons creamy Russian dressing
• 2 slices rye bread
• 1-3 slices Swiss cheese
• Chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter

Procedure

1. Combine the sauerkraut, onion, and parsley
2. Spread the dressing on two slices bread
3. Pile layers of corned beef, cheese, and sauerkraut mixture on one slice
4. Add second slice of bread
5. Butter the outside of the bread
6. Grill until lightly browned, roughly 5-10 minutes

Modern Variation

Ingredients

• 12 ounces thinly sliced cooked corned beef or deli corned beef
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 8 slices rye or pumpernickel bread
• 8 slices Swiss cheese
• 1½ cups sauerkraut, well drained
• ¼ cup Thousand Island dressing

Procedure

1. Lightly spread butter on one side of each bread slice.
2. Heat large non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot.
3. Place 2 bread slices, butter side down, in skillet.
4. Top each bread slice with 2 slices cheese, 1 tablespoon dressing, 3 ounces corned beef and ¼ of the sauerkraut.
5. Top sandwich with bread slice, butter side up.
6. Cook sandwiches 4 to 6 minutes or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, turning once.
7. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
8. Serve with additional Thousand Island dressing, if desired.

Notes, tips, and variations

• A modern variation of the Reuben substitutes Thousand Island Dressing for the traditional Russian dressing.
• The Reuben has a "sister" sandwich, the Rachel, which is made with pastrami or turkey in place of corned beef (and sometimes coleslaw in place of sauerkraut).
• A Georgia Reuben is a Reuben made with turkey and coleslaw instead of sauerkraut.
• A Reuben served in a Jewish delicatessen would not contain cheese or butter, as dietary laws forbid meat and dairy in the same dish.