The Reuben sandwich is unquestionably one of the world’s most popular sandwiches.
Because of the distinctive combination of smoky pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and tangy Russian dressing snuggled between two pieces of toasted rye bread.
This sandwich is fast and simple to prepare (after you have the Pastrami) and filling enough to serve as a complete dinner. Especially when accompanied with a tray of potato chips.
Contents
- Making your own Pastrami
- Preparing the sandwich ingredients
- FAQs
- Can you substitute pastrami for corned beef in a Reuben sandwich?
- Is pastrami used for Reuben sandwiches?
- Do you use corned beef or pastrami for Rubens?
- Is pastrami just smoked corned beef?
- Is the brine for corned beef and pastrami the same?
- Is homemade corned beef the same as pastrami?
- What is the best cheese for a pastrami sandwich?
- What cut of meat is best for pastrami?
- What is a classic Reuben sandwich made of?
- Can you use store bought corned beef to make pastrami?
Making your own Pastrami
Reuben sandwiches were traditionally cooked with corned beef, but I like the flavor of home-smoked Pastrami.
The whole procedure, which includes producing your own corned beef and smoking it, may take up to 7 days.
You can always purchase pastrami from the deli for this Reuben dish, but once you’ve experienced homemade pastrami, you’ll never go back.
A excellent in-between alternative is to purchase corned beef and then prepare your own smoked pastrami from it.
We have a whole tutorial on preparing Pastrami, however the entire process can be boiled down into a few steps:
- Curing the beef (the most frequent cut is brisket flat) in a brine solution for 5 to 7 days
- To eliminate excess salt, soak the brisket in fresh water for 8 hours.
- Rub the brisket with a mixture of pepper, coriander, and other spices.
- Smoking the brisket until its moist and tender
Preparing the sandwich ingredients
The Reuben is a straightforward sandwich. Because you only have five components to deal with, it is critical that you use them correctly.
1. Pastrami
I’ve previously discussed the advantages of creating your own pastrami. It’s best warm, whether you purchase it or prepare it yourself, so steam it or microwave it for a few seconds.
I prefer to thinly slice the Pastrami and use around 4 pieces each sandwich.
There are several photographs of Reuben sandwiches with a pound of meat stuffed into one sandwich. This may seem nice and get you a lot of likes on Instagram, but I prefer eating my Reuben without unhinging my jaw!
2. Sauerkraut
You can make your own sauerkraut, but shop purchased is also OK.
You don’t want too much liquid in your sandwich, so squeeze the sauerkraut in your hands and let all the juice drain.
Spread it out on a paper towel until you’re ready to put it together.
3. Russian dressing
Russian dressing is unlikely to be found at the store. We offer an easy recipe for homemade Russian dressing.
It simply takes a few minutes, and you should already have the majority of the components on hand.
Thousand Island dressing is used in several Reuben recipes. You can absolutely use this if you can’t get your hands on any Russian dressing, but it’s not as good in my view.
4. Rye bread
I prefer to use sliced thin medium to dark rye bread. Dark pumpernickel rye may also be substituted.
5. Swiss cheese
Any Swiss cheese, such as Jarlsberg or Emmentaler, will do.
It’s OK to use two thinly sliced or one thickly sliced piece of cheese.
