Reuben Sandwiches

[nyfirepatrolchef X]

Is there anyone here whos as repulsed as much as I am by the thought of pastrami on a Reuben (yeah people do it) in lieu of Corned Beast?

After all...pastrami goes with emmentaler and deli mustard on a good rye or roll...hot of course and cheese melted.

In my case my version of a Reuben is no nitrates turkey y Applegate Farms, tofu thousand island, and no sulfites sauerkraut from Guss Pickle.  Cant have the cheese.

[Rachel Perlow]

I understand your dietary concerns, but please don't call that a reuben. The main thing with me is that it shouldn't be overstuffed and the bread needs to be grilled toasty. I hate it when it is served open faced with gobs of cheese and the bread isn't even toasted.

A local BBQ joint serves an interesting variation on a reuben. It is called a Barbe-Reuben, here's a link to the thread.

Fink's Funky Chicken & Ribs/NJ Forum.

Here's a link to the restaurant's website.

[Jaymes]

The main thing with me is that it shouldn't be overstuffed and the bread needs to be grilled toasty. I hate it when it is served open faced with gobs of cheese and the bread isn't even toasted.

Rachel...you are so right!  That is my absolute biggest pet peeve.  We've got a Katz's Deli here in Austin and they're so proud of their Reubens...  but first they ask you if you want pastrami or corned beef, and THEN they pile it so high with corned beef that they could not POSSIBLY grill it.  So, I always get a doggie bag and take half of the corned beef home so I can make my own darned sandwich.

[John Whiting]

In popular American cuisine, nothing succeeds like excess!

[Malawry]

I've been making tofu "reubens" for years. They're a favorite.

Onion rye bread from the Kosher store

Sliced, prefrozen tofu

Batampte fresh sauerkraut

Gruyere

Homemade 1000 island dressing

A spicy homemade vinaigrette

I cook the tofu slices in the homemade vinaigrette until they are brown and crispy on both sides, and then I assemble my sandwich in the usual fashion and grill it in butter or olive oil till the rye is crisped. It's terrific.

[bushey]

A local deli here in western Mass serves a few variations on the Reuben and here's my favorite. They call it "Gloria's Reuben": turkey breast, muenster, cole slaw and russian dressing on grilled seeded light rye.  It's really delicious.

[nyfirepatrolchef X]

Reubens?

Grilled or toasted?

Really?

New one on me.

[nyfirepatrolchef X]

As for not calling my version a Reuben...try this kid I used to serve at macy*s Marketplace on Reuben Tuesdays...

in lieu of Russian....

t a r t a r    s a u c e

I still cringe at the thought.

[Wilfrid]

I have never been served a Reuben that has not been ludicrously over-stuffed.  I like Jaymes's idea.  I have already confessed elsewhere that, with Katz's corned beef sandwiches, I extract some of the filling and cook it up with some eggs for breakfast the next day.

[jbruskin]

I often make my own Ruebens at home - it's really easy, and comes out perfect every time, with no extra grease like most you get in a restaurant:

1. Mix mayo and ketchup to make Russian dressing

2. Spread over two pieces of rye, open faced (sorry for those who prefer a closed sandwich)

3. Spread corned beef - not very high

4. Spread sauerkraut over corned beef - lots of kraut is what makes a killer Reuben

5. Put one or two pieces of swiss on top

6. Bake in oven (or better yet a toaster oven) at 350 until the cheese melts, and then broil until the top turns slightly brown.

[nyfirepatrolchef X]

Jbruskin~

Well its MY thread and *I* say you can do it however makes your lil tummy happy. In this thread youre safe from THE FOOD POLICE.

Unless you use ttttartar ssssauce (cringe...hello Iain where ever you are lol!).

[Suzanne F]

Hey, NYFPC -- maybe the kid was allergic to tomatoes?  

:confused:

[Rachel Perlow]

Exactly. I mean tartar sauce is pretty much Russian dressing with out the ketchup.

[nyfirepatrolchef X]

nope...Iain lived on tartar sauce Reubens and mini pizzas...one of those rare oh sh*t moments in life....he and I were play arguing over the issue...he threw it in my face and I pretended I was gonna dump his little pizza in the trash....the freaking cheap plastic tray opened up and we both looked at each other like  :wow:  when the thing went *plop* in the can....poor kid looked like he was gonna cry.

God those were the days.

[jhlurie]

I understand your dietary concerns, but please don't call that a reuben. The main thing with me is that it shouldn't be overstuffed and the bread needs to be grilled toasty. I hate it when it is served open faced with gobs of cheese and the bread isn't even toasted.

A local BBQ joint serves an interesting variation on a reuben. It is called a Barbe-Reuben, here's a link to the thread.

Fink's Funky Chicken & Ribs/NJ Forum.

Here's a link to the restaurant's website.

Your first link (to the eGullet post) is broken.

The second? Wow... gotta dig that funky music. Sounds like a combo of Kool & The Gang and the theme from Sanford & Son...

[Rachel Perlow]

Thanks Jon! I fixed the link in my original post above.

Everyone, if you find a broken link in a post (which will happen primarily in links that bring you to another place within eGullet), please email or PM the author of that post so that they can edit their post and fix the link. Even better, do a search and provide them with the URL for that link to make it even easier for them to fix it.

[ronnie_suburban]

Reubens?

Grilled or toasted?

Really?

New one on me.

A few years back I saw an episode of David Rosengarten's Taste on FTV that was all about Reubens. He insisted that a proper Reuben was actually steamed and neither grilled nor toasted. He went on to make one using (among other devices) a bamboo steamer.

Anyway, it was news to me since I don't think I've ever had one that was steamed--and I've eaten a LOT of Reubens.

Anyone ever have a steamed Reuben?

=R=

[Rachel Perlow]

I remember that episode and thinking, "Yuck! What the hell is he doing?!"

[Jaymes]

MY recipe for Reuben Sandwich:

Get "Reuben craving" and go to Katz's to satisfy. Get "traditional" Reuben after arguing with waiter about what that is. Ask for extra pickle. Ask for doggie bag. Put half of corned beef from sandwich and all of extra pickle into bag. Eat Katz's Reuben.

Still have "Reuben craving."

Stop by grocery store on way home. Buy rye bread, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese.

At home, combine mayo, ketchup, pickle relish to make Russian dressing. Take out nice handful of sauerkraut, arrange into form about size of bread, place between paper towels, and roll with rolling pin until all juice is extracted. Smear Russian dressing on bread. Top with Swiss cheese slices, sauerkraut patty, remaining corned beef from Katz's. Close sandwich.

Heat skillet. Melt butter in skillet and smear little more on outside of bread. Grill entire closed sandwich on both sides til cheese is melted and sandwich is nice and warm and crunchy and flat.

Serve immediately with extra pickle from Katz's alongside.

And Shiner Bock.

Lean back and reflect on "Great Reubens I have known." Be glad craving is over.

But just know this:

It will return...

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but soon, and for the rest of my life.

[John]

A favorite lunheonette of mine is Syd's in the Millburn Mall in Union, N.J. This place is known for hot dogs, but everything served there is great. They make a fantastic reuben. I only had one for the first time about a year or 2 ago. I tasted my wife's (I had the hot dog platter). Now I get one occassionally. I've tried them at a few places, but Syd's makes the best one I've had, and this includes Katz's deli.

I know it is made with corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye. I found out today that Syd's uses corned beef from Best Provisions; same place that supplies them with their hot dogs. I want to make one at home. My question is, how do you cook the corned beef? Is it boiled? When it is cooked, is the cheese melted in the microwave? I would appreciate any info on how these sandwiches are made. I can get the corned beef at Best's sliced thin. But I need to know how to make one. The only thing I can cook are hot dogs. Thanks.

[Jaymes]

You'll probably get plenty of responses, and you can pick which suit you.

Here's what I do:

I often corn my own beef, but it is more work. If you want to do that you can either dig up a recipe for it, or buy the precorned (but not cooked) beef at the store.

Then you boil it.

Then you slice it thinly.

I usually boil it with potatoes, cabbage, carrots, celery, etc., and use it the first night for a "New England boiled dinner" served with several good mustards and some nice brown bread, and beer.

Then, when it's sandwich time, slice your corned beef thinly, across the grain of course. Take two slices of some Russian rye bread and spread them with Thousand Island dressing. Get a handful of sauerkraut and flatten it out like a pancake. Then mash it between paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.

Put your sliced corned beef on your bread, then top with sauerkraut patty and several slices of Swiss cheese. Don't make this too thick! Top with other slice of bread.

Now, on the outside of the bread of your sandwich, spread some butter. Grill the whole, assembled sandwich on medium heat. When the bottom is nice and crunchy and hot, turn the whole thing over and grill the other side until it's nice and crunchy and hot, too, and the cheese is melted.

I have no idea how they make the Reubens at the place you mentioned, but this is the traditional, original way the sandwich was made. I don't care for the non-grilled, non-crunchy monstrosities at Katz's.

If that's what you're going for, I guess you can just pre-toast the bread, assemble the sandwich by loading up way too much stuff, and then heat the thing in the microwave.

[Holly Moore]

There are two Reuben's. Open faced and closed. As my definition of a sandwich is something eaten with one's hands as opposed to a knife and fork, here's how to make a Reuben:

Butter one side each of two slices of rye bread and place the buttered side face down on a cutting board. On one slice of bread add thousand island dressing, swiss cheese and drained sauerkraut. On the other slice, more thousand island dressing (personal preference) and the corned beef (if you buy it sliced it's already cooked).

Fold the two halves together, give it a press to condense it. Then onto a griddle, cast iron skillet or frying pan. Cook on one side until toasty brown, flip and do the same on the other side.

Little Pete's at Latimer and 17th in Philadelphia makes the greasiest, best Rueben I've had.

[finker99]

Holly's description of the rueben is a great one. It is, word for word the Iron Horse's Rueben, and basicly like the barberueben at my restaurant,

as far as a steamed rueben goes, I saw David Rosengarten make one on taste once, I never could watch that show again, what is a rueben without the crunch?

Variations:

a Rachel - no beef or kraut, sub turkey and slaw

the barberueben -sub bbq brisket for corned brisket

they are also tasty with pastrami.

fink

fink's funky chicken & ribs

[Jaymes]

Holly's description of the rueben is a great one.

Holly's and mine are, I believe, identical.

Except she butters the outside of her sandwich before making it and I, after.

And you're right. They're great.

[John Whiting]

Thank you both. This is Holy Writ!