The Reuben — corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian (or Thousand Island) dressing on rye bread, grilled on a flat press until the bread is crispy and the cheese is melted — is the most architecturally complete sandwich in the American deli tradition. Origin is disputed between Arnold Reuben of Reuben's Restaurant in New York (1914) and Reuben Kulakofsky of Omaha, Nebraska (1920s). The Reuben's genius is its balance: the salty corned beef against the sour sauerkraut, the creamy dressing against the crispy bread, the melted Swiss binding everything into a unified, dripping, magnificent mess.
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.
1) Drain the sauerkraut thoroughly — squeeze it in a towel. 2) The corned beef should be warm — cold corned beef doesn't integrate with the melted cheese. 3) Grill until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is crispy. The pressed format creates the thin, crispy, cheese-sealed sandwich.
The Rachel — the Reuben's variant using pastrami instead of corned beef and coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. Some delis serve it with turkey and coleslaw. The Reuben remains the gold standard.
David Sax — Save the Deli; Arthur Schwartz — Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food