The Reuben

The story of the Reuben starts with pastrami, which arrived with Romanian Jews in the mid-19th century. Today, the hopelessly rich and tender cut of smoked brisket is thick-sliced by hand, then piled decadently high between two slices of rye bread with a kick of mustard and nothing more—a throne for the moist meat, and decidedly New York’s most iconic sandwich known simply as “pastrami on rye”. 

In 1914, Arnold Reuben broke kosher tradition by combining meat and cheese—and an American adaptation was born. The deli classic combines similarly fatty slices of warm corned beef with added tangy kraut, Russian dressing, and melted Swiss cheese for a sandwich and meal in one. Over the decades, other iterations have evolved, including the “Rachel” with turkey instead of corned beef. 

Each component is straightforward, but you can substitute store-bought sliced corned beef and sauerkraut for a quicker take. – Yasmin Newman

Ingredients

MAKES 4

• 8 slices rye bread
• butter, for spreading 
• 8 slices Swiss cheese 

Corned beef

• 1 lb 12 oz–2 lb 3 oz (800 g–1 kg) corned brisket (with fat cap, if available)
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 fresh bay leaf

Quick kraut

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ white cabbage (about 10½ oz/300 g)
• ½ cup (125 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon superfine (caster) sugar
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Russian dressing

• ⅓ cup (80 g) whole-egg mayonnaise 
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1½ tablespoons prepared horseradish 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped gherkin 
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or ketchup

Instructions

1. Place all the corned beef ingredients in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, or until the beef is tender. Remove from the heat, then leave the beef to rest in the water for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, to make the quick kraut, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the remaining ingredients and 2 tablespoons of water. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until softened. Set aside to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). 
4. Combine the Russian dressing ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Drain the brisket from the water and thickly slice across the grain.
5. Toast the bread lightly in a toaster. Spread one side of each slice with butter, then flip them over and spread with the Russian dressing. Top half the bread slices with a slice of cheese, corned beef, drained sauerkraut and another slice of cheese, then sandwich with the remaining bread, buttered side up. 
6. Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Cut in half and serve immediately.