Reuben Sandwich

The Reuben Sandwich or the grilled Pastrami and swiss is one of my all time favorites. I bought a 2lb package of Columbus Pastrami at Costco and tried it out, this is what I came up with. The pastrami is very lean and melt in your mouth tender. I always like the peppery taste of the outside layer, this pastrami is made from the Round of beef, I would rather have it from the Brisket.

I fry the Pastrami slices to get the natural juices going and bring out the taste. I also fry the kraut to dry it out a bit and top the meat with a Sweet & Hot mustard.
I use a good swiss cheese and steam to melt the cheese.

I butter two slices of Deli Rye Bread and grill the bread, The side the pastrami is on browns the bread faster because of the weight of the pastrami.

I miss the great tasting Deli foods of New York, this is the closest I can come to a quality Grilled Reuben Sandwich.....................Enjoy, don't wait to get to you favorite deli, make one at home............BillyB
 
 

Oh My Goodness-----
I'll have one of those please and a bottle of Sam Adams.

I've never had pastrami from the round...nor do I intend to. I'm a purist. Didn't the Costco have any Carnegie Deli pastrami?
 
Did you miss the Russian dressing on the sandwich?
 
The proper drink with a Reuben is a Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray, Cream or Black Cherry.
 

Acer,  the Carnegie Pastrami would have been my first choice, I ended up with the Columbus brand. I don't like Russian or 1000 Island for the Reuben we serve it with a sweet and hot mustard, my customers have liked it that way for 15 years. The proper drink for the Reuben is whatever they buy, I could care less, I had mine with a cold glass of milk......BillyB

Since I am not proper, and because I am irish---thru & thru
I'll have a beer.  Doesn't have to be anything special, a BUD is fine.
Just make sure it's cold.
 
Milk is for OREOs.

Looks wonderful-I have never liked 1000 island on mine-your mustard is perfect!

the ancient mariner


Since I am not proper, and because I am irish---thru & thru
I'll have a beer.  Doesn't have to be anything special, a BUD is fine.
Just make sure it's cold.

Milk is for OREOs.

It was 8AM, I had the Reuben for breakfast, the milk was fine....................Beer starts at noon......

I would eat that in a second and I don't care for sauerkraut. I'd prefer the mustard also.  When it comes to sauerkraut, which is better, the canned or the chilled in the plastic bags(or neither)??  I would guess the chilled but I don't know any better.

@billyb
 
How to make your own pastrami:
 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/nov/03/how-to-make-pastrami#/?picture=368293166&index=0
 
 

Acer, I'm going to try making my own Pastrami in a few months, yesterday I sent two Black angus cows to be finished at the feed lot, They should be ready around Feb. I will keep this recipe and try it out............we will have to wait for the rest of the story, the Pastrami looked great in the recipe..................... thanks BillyB

Man O man, beautiful, as long as I'm chewing, keep them coming, and I'll have what the Ancient One is having, keep them coming too!

That looks so good!  Would it still be a Reuben if made on Sour Dough?

Rusty246


I would eat that in a second and I don't care for sauerkraut. I'd prefer the mustard also.  When it comes to sauerkraut, which is better, the canned or the chilled in the plastic bags(or neither)??  I would guess the chilled but I don't know any better.

The method of packaging is not as important as the quality of the brand. Generally speaking though,IMHO, Bagged or Refrigerated glass jars (Claussens) are generally better quality than canned. Fresh from the barrel is the best but hard to find. We could have a whole thread, and probably do, regarding who makes the best Kraut. Sabretts, Hebrew National, Claussens, Ba-Tempte etc. Then we have the PIckling methods- German, Raw, Unpastuerized.
 
I knew I should have searched first. We have a thread:
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Favorite-Brands-of-Sauerkraut-m539737.aspx
 

mar52


That looks so good!  Would it still be a Reuben if made on Sour Dough?

Hey Mar, in some peoples eyes no, in other peoples eyes yes, in my eyes yes, do I think it would be good, YES........................I use a lot of specialty breads, seme people ask for their sandwiches grilled on wheat, we aim to please......................BillyB

Foodbme

Rusty246


I would eat that in a second and I don't care for sauerkraut. I'd prefer the mustard also.  When it comes to sauerkraut, which is better, the canned or the chilled in the plastic bags(or neither)??  I would guess the chilled but I don't know any better.

The method of packaging is not as important as the quality of the brand. Generally speaking though,IMHO, Bagged or Refrigerated glass jars (Claussens) are generally better quality than canned. Fresh from the barrel is the best but hard to find. We could have a whole thread, and probably do, regarding who makes the best Kraut. Sabretts, Hebrew National, Claussens, Ba-Tempte etc. Then we have the PIckling methods- German, Raw, Unpastuerized.

I knew I should have searched first. We have a thread:
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Favorite-Brands-of-Sauerkraut-m539737.aspx

I buy my Kraut in Cans, glass, plastic buckets, I don't care what it comes in. The only thing I care about is that its good. The only reason I have not repurchased a brand is because it was to under cooked or two raw tasting

BillyB, Real simple name for that sandwich...."The Breakfast of Champions"
 
I'm with you on the 1000 island Dressing

Joe, I'll trade two Reuben sandwiches for one slice of your Lasagna any day of the week........................

BillyB, you can make me a sandwich any day! That is a thing of beauty!! I have stuff like that for breakfast too. Usually I am inspired by something I've read here while having my morning coffee!

I don't think there is enough pastrami on that sandwich.  Give me the brisket also. 

 
 
Between this and your patty melt, you have been showing the two best examples of grilled rye at its finest.
 
mark

Billy, you may change the name of my sandwich to...
 
The Reubenesqué and make it voluptuous.

mar52


Billy, you may change the name of my sandwich to...

The Reubenesqué and make it voluptuous.

Mar, if I use the word Voluptuous they may think I selling more than a Pastrami sandwich, they may think I'm trying to sell them a Happy meal with the toy......................

Oh My!    

  I make my Reuben with Boar's Head Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, 1000 Island Dressing, Real Swiss Cheese, and Seeded Jewish Rye Bread. I like Pastrami but save it for Pastrami and Swiss on Sour Dough bread with Hot mustard. I always eat mine with a Sam Adams. YUMMY Pics Billy B.
 
 David O.

Great looking sandwich. Is it possible to make a bad Ruben? I don't really think so as long as you have the main ingredients. Some are just a little better than others.
 

mar52


That looks so good!  Would it still be a Reuben if made on Sour Dough?

Considering that he made it with pastrami instead of corned beef, and mustard instead of Russian dressing, what difference would it make if it was on sourdough instead of rye?

BillyB, I was getting all kinds of funny looks this morning when I walked into my office...well, not so much funny looks as shaking heads and walking away.
 
Our break room is equipped with a microwave, toaster, toaster oven and Tassimo coffee machine.  Today I added an electric hot plate and a frying pan.  My mission, to make a Reuban my way.
 
Seeded rye bread, corned beef, deli sauerkraut, whole grain mustard, butter and swiss cheese.  This was my first ever, and it was spectacular!  Thanks for the inspiration.
 
Now if everyone would just shut-up about smelling the sauerkraut all day

joerogo


BillyB, I was getting all kinds of funny looks this morning when I walked into my office...well, not so much funny looks as shaking heads and walking away.

Our break room is equipped with a microwave, toaster, toaster oven and Tassimo coffee machine.  Today I added an electric hot plate and a frying pan.  My mission, to make a Reuban my way.

Seeded rye bread, corned beef, deli sauerkraut, whole grain mustard, butter and swiss cheese.  This was my first ever, and it was spectacular!  Thanks for the inspiration.

Now if everyone would just shut-up about smelling the sauerkraut all day

Joe, I bet your sandwich will motivate others in the office and great the mustard worked well, just the way I like mine. You are a guy that picks his own path in life, it showed even more today...............Great job my friend............................BillyB.................................

joerogo


BillyB, I was getting all kinds of funny looks this morning when I walked into my office...well, not so much funny looks as shaking heads and walking away.

Is that different than every other day?

Michael Hoffman

mar52


That looks so good!  Would it still be a Reuben if made on Sour Dough?

Considering that he made it with pastrami instead of corned beef, and mustard instead of Russian dressing, what difference would it make if it was on sourdough instead of rye?

IMHO, Once you change any recipe from what was originally created, you can no longer call it by the same name. Not saying it's a better or worse variation, it's just not the same as the original.
Another example of an abused recipe is Caesar Salad. Here's the original recipe for 4 people created by Chef Caesar Cardini. He created the original in 1924 for his Hollywood friends coming down to his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico to avoid Prohibition:
CAESAR SALAD
(The spelling is correct)
3 medium heads of Romaine Lettuce, Leafs left whole, chilled, dry, crisp
Dash of L & P Worchestershire sauce
5-6 TBSP Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/3 C Garlic Flavored Olive Oil
1 C Croutons
1-2 TBSP Wine Vinegar
Juice of 1 1/2 Fresh Lemons
1 raw Egg
Salt & Freshly ground pepper 
The dressing was distributed evenly over the whole leaves. The Spiny Romaine was intended to give two things to his salad. The full length Romaine leaf served as a scoop and Cardini suggested eating the salad with your fingers. He never chopped the Romaine. Notice there are no anchovies in the recipe. The anchovy flavor comes from the L & P's.
Anything else is not "Caesar Salad!"