“I devour the sandwich, a mountain of corned beef between two greasy slabs of marble rye, leaking cheese and Russian dressing all down the front of my sweater. It’s delicious, and I don’t stop eating until I’ve finished the last thick fry, which I use to mop up the remains of the sandwich.”
— Meredith Mileti
A Reuben is a deeeeelicious, refined, and revamped corned beef sandwich, the mythical food actualized in reality. This is either your favorite sandwich or the one you forget until your friend orders it at a restaurant and has you screaming, “I should have ordered that!”
If you take a corned beef sandwich and eat it with just mustard and a pickle, it’s British style. Eat the same sandwich with German sauerkraut and Russian dressing, it’s another melting-pot food, as American as all get out, and referred to as a Rueben sandwich. Read more on this classic American cuisine from New York here. Today’s recipe is a fusion of both styles, a Rueben with sauerkraut and mustards, with Russians getting the short end of the stick.
Take your corned beef, or better yet cook our Smoked and Scotch Ale- Braised corned beef from scratch, where we corned it, brined it, and smoked it just like pastrami. Once you have your corned beef follow our instructions to lead to your scrumptious and satisfying ‘happy place’.
Assembling a decent sandwich is never random or haphazard, a good sandwich strikes a balance between all of its elements and brings together complex flavors for your tastebuds to sing songs they’ve never heard before. In this sandwich, the moisture and softness of the tangy sauerkraut are balanced with the earthy and crispiness of the bread. The saltiness of the corned beef is stacked up against the acidity of the sauerkraut and the sweetness of the Swiss cheese is enhanced through melting. The dressing ultimately determines the overall success of the Reuben and we prefer the earthy tart flavors of stone-ground mustard for our Reuben.
Have fun & Enjoy
