Reuben Sandwich

How to Cook Reuben Sandwich

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1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and chill 15 minutes.

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2. Squeeze the sauerkraut hard in a clean cloth until no more liquid comes out. Do this twice.

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3. Warm the corned beef briefly in a dry pan or steamer so it is not fridge-cold in the finished sandwich.

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4. Butter one side of each slice of rye. Lay four slices butter-side down.

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5. On each, build in this order: a slice of cheese, dressing, corned beef, sauerkraut, more dressing, a second slice of cheese. The cheese on both sides seals the wet filling away from the bread.

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6. Top with the remaining slices, butter side up.

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7. Griddle in a heavy pan over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula, until deep golden.

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8. Flip carefully and cook 4 minutes more, until the second side is browned and the cheese has fully melted at the edges.

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9. Rest 2 minutes, then cut in half on the diagonal and serve with pickles.

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Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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Things to Watch For

1. Medium-low heat. A Reuben cooked hot is burnt outside with cold cheese in the middle.
2. Cheese against both slices of bread creates a moisture barrier. This is the professional trick.
3. A Rachel swaps the corned beef for turkey and the sauerkraut for coleslaw, and is excellent in its own right.

What to Serve It With

A dill pickle spear, non-negotiable · Potato crisps or fries · A cold lager or a cream soda

Storing Leftovers

Eat immediately. The dressing keeps 1 week refrigerated and is excellent on anything.

Questions People Ask

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.