Reuben
Swiss cheese shines in this savory-tangy-sweet deli mainstay made with brisket, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and rye bread.
Ingredients
RUSSIAN DRESSING
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chili sauce such as Heinz brand
- ½ tablespoon minced dill pickle
- ½ tablespoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped curly parsley leaves
- ½ teaspoon horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
CORNED BEEF
- 3 to 4 pounds raw corned beef brisket
- 1½ tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground allspice
- 3 bay leaves
SANDWICH
- 6 tablespoons softened butter
- 12 slices rye bread
- 3 cups sauerkraut
- 12 ounces Swiss cheese thinly sliced*
- Dill pickles for garnish
Instructions
RUSSIAN DRESSING
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
CORNED BEEF
- Rinse corned beef to remove excess salt. Place brisket in a large stock pot and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Add remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 3½ hours. Remove meat from pot, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
SANDWICH
- Butter one side of each bread slice. Place butter side down on a clean cutting board or waxed paper. Spread each slice with a tablespoon of Russian dressing, and distribute corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese evenly among six of the slices. Top with remaining bread slices, butter side out.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, and cook one at a time, flipping halfway, until bread is toasted and cheese is melting. Cool slightly, cut in half, and serve with a dill pickle on the side.
Notes
* If you want to derivate from the traditional cheese for this recipe, here are some suggestions for alternate cheeses, all pulled from the 75 award-winning cheeses described within our Best Cheeses 2014 issue.
- Pearl Valley Swiss
- Jarlsberg
- Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar
Alicia Hahn
Alicia Hahn excels at eating and enjoys writing, crosswords, and cooking (preferably with cheese). Originally from San Francisco, she moved to Boston for school and fell in love with the city (despite an annual campaign against winter). Her favorite place to be is the farmers’ market, where she finds weird and exciting ingredients to make or break her next meal.
Photographer Dominic Perri
Dominic Perri is a passionate food photographer splitting his time between Massachusetts and New York City. He has been professionally photographing food for almost 10 years. See more of his work at http://www.dominicperri.com/
