A Reuben Sandwich Recipe That Is Better Than Any Other (2024)

FAQs

What was on the original Reuben sandwich? ›

One story is told by Arnold Ruben's daughter and is set in 1914. Annette Seelos was hungry enough to eat a brick and Arnold grabbed rye, ham, turkeys Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing and made her a sandwich. She suggested naming it after herself, but Arnold had a better idea.

Be sure to drain off as much liquid as possible from the sauerkraut before piling it onto your Reuben sandwich to prevent any sogginess. It's also best to serve Reubens soon after griddling to keep the toasted bread nice and crisp.

Tempeh, seitan, vegetables and mushrooms have stood in for the corned beef, but they're not really needed, because outsize quantities of the other traditional elements make a punchy, gooey sandwich on their own. Both sides of the buttered rye get melted Swiss.

The bread is actually the most vital part of a sandwich. This is important for a variety of reasons; perhaps the most important one is its ability to absorb liquid. If you have toppings like condiments and tomatoes that tend to get soggy, the right bread will absorb it and make it a non issue.

Despite being a sandwich shop, you'd be staggered at how many sandwiches we sell without the bread, and I think that's testament to the quality of the stuff we're putting inside them. 'I think any great dish in a restaurant needs to have six elements: hot, cold, sweet, sour, crunchy and soft.

According to Omaha lore, the Reuben Sandwich was dreamed up at Omaha's Blackstone Hotel in 1925 by Reuben Kulakofsky, a local grocer, to feed a group of late-night poker players. Charles Schimmel, one of the players and the hotel's owner, liked it so much he put it on the menu of The Plush Horse, the hotel restaurant.

Your choice of pastrami, corned beef or turkey breast with melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and homemade Russian dressing, all on grilled rye bread... Order Online.

Place the sandwich in a preheated skillet or griddle and cook until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown. Serve hot. You can certainly make a sandwich without sauerkraut, but it won't be a reuben sandwich since one of the ingredients that defines the sandwich as being a reuben is sauerkraut.

The Best Method for Making Reuben Sandwiches at Home

We have a grilled-cheese philosophy here at Serious Eats, which is that both sides of each slice of bread should be toasted to maximize the crunch against the soft melted cheese.

A Reuben sandwich is typically made with corned beef. It would taste great with pastrami too, it just wouldn't be a classic Reuben! Bottom line: You can't go wrong with either of these flavor-packed deli meats.

Are Reubens supposed to be hot or cold? ›

A Reuben can be served cold, but it's far better when it is served hot like the recipe calls for. The melted cheese blends all the ingredients together for a messy and delightful sandwich.

Spread condiments from one edge of each bread to the other — such as mayonnaise, mustard, pesto, or a favorite spread. The key to a well-balanced sandwich is placing meats and/or cheeses on top of the condiments — that way, no moisture from the veggies will make the bread soggy.

There are 3 main components of a sandwich: the bread, the spread, and the filling.