P
American
The Reuben Sandwich
Rye bread (seeded or unseeded), buttered on the exterior, layered with: thinly sliced corned beef (warm), Swiss cheese, well-drained sauerkraut, and Russian dressing (mayo, ketchup, relish, horseradish, Worcestershire). Grilled on a flat press or in a buttered skillet until the bread is golden-brown and crispy and the cheese is fully melted. The sauerkraut must be well-drained — excess moisture makes the sandwich soggy.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
4 slices
rye bread
seeded or unseeded
Your own market
30 g
unsalted butter
softened, for the exterior faces
Your own market
200 g
corned beef
thinly sliced, warmed through
Your own market
60 g
Swiss cheese
sliced
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
sauerkraut
well-drained, squeezed dry in a clean towel
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the Russian dressing
60 g
mayonnaise
Your own market
20 g
ketchup
Your own market
15 g
pickle relish
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
10 g
prepared horseradish
drained
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 tsp
Worcestershire sauce
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Stir until fully incorporated. The dressing is ready when the colour is a uniform pale coral with no streaks of unmixed ketchup.
2
Wrap the sliced corned beef loosely in foil and warm it through — in a low oven or briefly in a dry skillet — before assembly. Cold corned beef will not integrate with the melted cheese. It is ready when it yields to the touch and carries visible steam when unwrapped.
From the canon — A beef brisket (flat cut — leaner; point cut — fattier and more flavourful) submerged in a brine of water, kosher salt, sugar, curing salt (sodium nitrite — … Corned Beef →
3
Place the sauerkraut in the centre of a clean towel and twist firmly, expelling as much liquid as possible. This is where the sandwich lives or dies: excess moisture will turn the rye bread irreparably soggy during grilling, and no amount of heat will recover it. The drained sauerkraut should feel nearly dry to the hand and hold its shape when pressed.
4
Lay all four bread slices on a work surface. Spread the Russian dressing on the interior faces of each slice. On two slices, layer Swiss cheese, then warm corned beef, then the drained sauerkraut, then a second layer of Swiss cheese. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread, dressing-side inward. Butter the exterior faces of both sandwiches.
5
Place the sandwiches in a buttered skillet over medium heat, or on a flat press. Grill, pressing firmly if using a skillet and a weighted pan, until the bread is golden-brown and crispy on the underside — then turn and repeat. The sandwiches are done when both exterior faces are deep golden-brown and crispy, and the Swiss cheese has melted completely through the stack, visibly binding corned beef and sauerkraut into a unified layer.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — House-cured corned beef, brisket brined in-kitchen for five to seven days; rye bread from a Jewish bakery baking daily with natural starter; sauerkraut lacto-fermented in-house for three weeks or more; hand-made Russian dressing from scratch.
02
Estate — Premium delicatessen corned beef purchased freshly sliced to order; artisan bakery seeded rye; quality barrel-fermented sauerkraut from a farmers' market or specialty grocer; Russian dressing made fresh from good-quality commercial mayonnaise and ketchup.
03
Market — Good supermarket corned beef from the deli counter, sliced thin; a reliable commercial rye loaf with caraway seeds; packaged sauerkraut sold refrigerated rather than shelf-stable; bottled Russian or Thousand Island dressing.
04
House — Pre-sliced vacuum-packed corned beef, warmed; any available rye bread; shelf-stable tinned sauerkraut, drained; a dressing assembled from pantry condiments in the proportions given.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. The squeezed sauerkraut holds its shape without releasing liquid when pressed between the fingers.
◇Touch. The warmed corned beef yields to light pressure and steams when unwrapped from its foil.
◇Sight. Both exterior bread faces are an even deep golden-brown with a visible crispy surface.
◇Sight. The Swiss cheese has melted fully through the stack, sealing corned beef and sauerkraut into a single cohesive layer.
◇Where it lives or dies. The sauerkraut must be squeezed bone-dry before assembly; any residual moisture migrates into the rye during grilling and reduces the bread to an irrecoverable, soggy interior.
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
Woodford Reserve Distillery · Kentucky Bourbon Country
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.
Without alcohol
No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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