How to Make the Perfect Toasted Reuben Sandwich

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If there is anything better than a Reuben Sandwich it is a Toasted Reuben Sandwich. The crunchy, buttery toast and the oozing cheese elevate this lunchtime classic into ultra comfort food. Here’s everything you need to know about how to create a toasted version of this Iconic Sandwich.

What the Heck is a Reuben Sandwich?

The Reuben Sandwich is the classic combination of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing on traditional Russian rye bread.

There is a fair bit of contention surrounding the invention of the Reuben Sandwich.

One proposed origin of this famous sandwich was in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1925, where the Reuben Sandwich was dreamed up at Omaha’s Blackstone Hotel. Reuben Kulakofsky, a local grocer, thought of the inspired combination to feed a group of late-night poker players. Charles Schimmel, one of the players and the hotel’s owner, liked it so much he put it on the menu of The Plush Horse, the hotel restaurant (source).

Another story about the origin of the Reuben Sandwich is from Reuben’s Restaurant and Delicatessen in New York, owned by Arnold Reuben. In the early 1900s, a famous actress came into the deli after a long day of shooting a film with Charlie Chaplin. She was famished and asked for a large sandwich with different toppings, which Arnold put together. According to his own account, the sandwich was a foot high of sliced meat, Swiss cheese, “spice and stuff,” and homemade Russian dressing (source).  He later named the sandwich “the Reuben Special”, after himself.

Wherever the Reuben Sandwich comes from, we are thankful. The combination of salty meat, sour pickled cabbage and creamy cheese and dressing is utter deliciousness, and there is a reason why it is so dang popular.

Why Toast the Reuben Sandwich?

I think you’ll agree with me that any sandwich with meat and cheese eats way better when the bread is delicately crisp, and glued together with a generous amount of melted cheese. The Reuben is perfect toasted, because the cheese melts and coats the beef and sauerkraut. The sauerkraut itself stands up well when slightly heated – it still retains it’s kick. The bread becomes golden and crusty on the outside, yet remains fluffy on the inside. And the beef, slightly warmed, is vastly improved.

In short, the sensory experience you get from toasting this classic is unparalleled!

Traditional Ingredients in the Reuben Sandwich

Rye Bread

Deeply flavoured Rye Bread is the traditional sandwich bread to use for this recipe, but any crusty, thickly sliced bread will do. I like to use my homemade sourdough bread, which toasts beautifully and copes well with all those ingredients.

Premium corned beef

The traditional Reuben Sandwich uses salty corned beef. The vibrant colour of the beef contrasts perfectly with the creamy yellow of the cheese and pale sauerkraut. It’s saltiness is the perfect way to balance the fat of the cheese and the zing of the sauerkraut and dressing. The best thing to do is to buy the corned beef (sometimes called silverside) from the meat section of the supermarket, and cure it yourself in a slow cooker. It produces the best tasting beef! Here’s the recipe I used to make my corned beef.

Swiss cheese

Cheese is a vital ingredient to any toasted sandwich, because it’s simply dry without it. Swiss cheese is the traditional cheese to use in the Reuben Sandwich, which is a mild cheese. Anything too salty would be too much, as the beef is already salty. If you do not have access to Swiss cheese, simply sub in for another mild cheese (Edam or Colby).

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is a very important component to this sandwich, because it brings balance to the salty beef and the creamy, fatty cheese. This sandwich needs something zingy to make your palate sing. You can make your own (I have a recipe here), or buy it inexpensively from the supermarket. Supermarket varieties do not have as much flavour or nutrients as the homemade kind, but they do the job. As long as it is sour and crunchy, it’ll work really well.

Russian dressing

Russian Dressing is creamy and tangy, and is the perfect flavour to bring everything together. Find out how to make your own Russian Dressing here, or you can by Thousand Island Dressing from the supermarket. The dressing needs to be spicy, sweet, salty and a little sour.

Variations of the Reuben Sandwich

While you may be thinking: it’s a classic, why tamper with it? There are a few interesting variations of this sandwich out there that you may regret not knowing.

Some people like to substitute the corned beef for smoked meat or freshwater fish, which sounds amazing! Others substitute pastrami or turkey for the beef, and coleslaw for the sauerkraut (this probably wouldn’t be very nice toasted). Still others put all the traditional fillings inside an egg roll wrapper, and deep-fry it. Now that’s interesting!

I myself like the punch and zing of Gherkins and pickled Onions, which I add in addition to all the other ingredients (I love Sauerkraut too much to leave it out!). Instead of Russian dressing, I use a homemade Honey Mustard mayonnaise, which is utterly divine.

While variations are fun, the more carried away you get, the further you get from the Iconic sandwich. It’s a perfect combination, and famous for a reason – it should not be tampered with. If you want a Reuben Sandwich, DO a Reuben Sandwich!

Assembly

Any Sandwich lover will tell you emphatically that the building process of this lunchtime staple is critical to it’s enjoyment. Wet ingredients need to be layered between other robust ingredients, so as not to soggy-up the sandwich. Dressings need to be on both slices of bread, for maximum coverage.

Layering ingredients strategically enables a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. This toasted Reuben sandwhich works best when the cheese is between the Sauerkraut and the Beef. This is because it melts into both, gluing the sandwich together for a cohesive whole. This enables you to get a bit of all the elements in every bite.

Another crucial part of the Toasted Reuben Sandwich is to butter both sides of the bread. This gives that golden., crunchy exterior, but also flavours the filling. The dressing should be on both slices of bread, to ensure it flavours both the ingredients on the top and on the bottom.

The Toasted Element

To press the sandwich, I adore my Flat Plated Sandwich press. It is the ideal appliance for Toasted sandwiches, because it cooks them evenly by gently pressing, and creates no incisions and grill lines (which can damage the structure of your sandwich).

The bread you choose is also critical to the perfect toasted sandwich. It needs to be strong and crusty. Bread is usually significantly compressed when toasted, and a soft, highly processed sandwich bread will not perform very well.

The best bread you can use for the perfect toasted sandwich is artisan-style crusty bread, preferably sourdough. Sourdough bread is waxy and strong and holds all those fillings in.

Make sure the bread is generously buttered or oiled – otherwise the crunch is too dry.

Serving Suggestions

The Toasted Reuben Sandwich pairs perfectly with your favourite lager or shandy, with a couple of pickled onions on the side. A bowl of salt-and-vinegar crisps would go down a treat, too!