Reuben Sandwich

Classic Reuben Sandwich

A griddled American deli icon: rye bread layered with corned beef, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing, pressed until crisp and gooey.

Prep

10 min

Cook

10 min

Total

20 min

Serves

2

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •4 slices rye bread, marble or seeded rye, about 1 cm thick
• •120 g (4 oz) corned beef, deli-sliced, warm
• •2 slices Swiss cheese, about 60 g / 2 oz, such as Emmental or baby Swiss
• •120 g (1 cup) sauerkraut, well drained and squeezed dry
• •30 g (2 Tbsp) softened butter, for grilling the bread
• •4 Tbsp Russian dressing, see below for a quick mix: 3 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp prepared horseradish, 1 tsp sweet pickle relish, pinch of paprika
• •0.5 tsp caraway seeds, optional, for toasting onto the bread

Steps

1. 1 Drain the sauerkraut in a fine sieve, then press it firmly with clean hands or a spoon to remove excess liquid; pile it into a dry skillet over medium heat and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until just dry and lightly browned. Set aside.
2. 2 In a small bowl whisk together 3 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp prepared horseradish, 1 tsp sweet pickle relish and a pinch of paprika to make the Russian dressing.
3. 3 Butter one side of each bread slice. Lay two slices butter-side down on a board.
4. 4 Spread about 1 Tbsp Russian dressing on each unbuttered (top) side of bread.
5. 5 On each sandwich, layer: 2 slices Swiss, half the warm corned beef, half the drained sauerkraut, then another 1 Tbsp dressing.
6. 6 Close with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides facing out. Press gently to compact.
7. 7 Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium-low heat 2 minutes. Place sandwiches in the pan and weight them with a second pan or a foil-wrapped brick.
8. 8 Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, adjusting heat as needed, until the bread is deep golden and crisp and the cheese is fully melted (internal filling should reach about 65 °C / 150 °F).
9. 9 Rest the sandwiches off the heat for 1 minute, slice on the diagonal, and serve hot, with extra Russian dressing or pickle on the side.