Classic Reuben with Spicy Russian Dressing
Classic Corned Beef Reuben with a homemade Spicy Russian Dressing.
Ingredients
Russian Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon prepared (or homemade) horseradish spread
- 1 - 2 tablespoons grated onion, see Notes
- 2 tablespoons dill relish, see Notes
- 2 tablespoons red cherry peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of brine from jar of red cherry peppers, see Notes
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
- Fine sea salt, to taste
The Reuben:
- 8 slices marbled rye bread
- 1 pound corned beef, or pastrami, sliced to desired thickness, see Notes
- 8 Swiss cheese slices, sliced to desired thickness, see Notes
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained very well and patted dry, see Notes
- Russian Dressing, see above recipe
Instructions
- Make the Russian Dressing. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and/or vinegar to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. The dressing can be kept well-covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Heat a skillet (alternatively you can heat the meat in the oven) over medium heat. Add the deli meat,scattering evenly, cover, and allow the meat to warm up by steaming. If the sauerkraut is cold, warm by stovetop also, or well-covered in the microwave for just long enough to warm through.
- Make the sandwiches. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Spread desired amount of Russian Dressing on 4 of the slices. Top the dressing with sauerkraut, deli meat, then Swiss cheese. Top the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.
- Heat a griddle, large electric skillet, or large shallow skillet over medium-high heat. Grill the sandwiches until desired browning and the cheese is melted.
- Cut the sandwiches in half if they are large and serve the Reubens warm with a side of dill pickle spears and chips.
Notes
For the Russian Dressing, you will get more “juice” by grating the onion instead of finely mincing. Also, I believe 1 level tablespoon was plenty of onion, but if you like onion flavor, you may like to add 2 tablespoons.
If you can get your hands on homemade dill pickles, chop them finely and use them for the dill relish.
Don’t use too much of the brine from the cherry peppers if you are wanting to use this Dressing for a spread only. The brine will liquify the dressing a bit, making it more of a salad dressing consistency.
Ask your deli to slice the corned beef/pastrami and Swiss cheese in the thickness you prefer. you can get the meat and cheese sliced thicker if you like some heft to your sandwich. Also, feel free to use more or less of the meat and cheese. I suggest ¼ pound of meat per person, but feel free to adjust. My boys can certainly eat more than ¼ lb each (as you can see in the photos), but I had to have a baseline for the recipe.
I purchase sauerkraut in the refrigerated section in grocery stores/farmers’ markets. They are more likely to have probiotics, which I prefer. Canned sauerkraut can taste canned sometimes.
The nutrition chart was calculated without the butter. The chart was calculated with half of the Russian Dressing recipe. The full recipe is given for those who will use the Dressing for the sandwiches and for salads, etc.
Nutrition Facts
Classic Reuben with Spicy Russian Dressing
Amount per Serving
Calories
749.68
% Daily Value*
Fat
51.65
g
79
%
Saturated Fat
15.29
g
96
%
Trans Fat
0.36
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
14.06
g
Monounsaturated Fat
16.81
g
Cholesterol
94.71
mg
32
%
Sodium
2463.28
mg
107
%
Potassium
594.68
mg
17
%
Carbohydrates
38.85
g
13
%
Fiber
4.85
g
20
%
Sugar
7.03
g
8
%
Protein
32.32
g
65
%
Vitamin C
37.1
mg
45
%
Calcium
392.37
mg
39
%
Iron
4.52
mg
25
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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