Best Reuben Sandwiches Recipe

How to make it

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• 1. Whisk mayonnaise, pickles, pickle juice, and cocktail sauce in small bowl; set aside. Cook sauerkraut, vinegar, and sugar in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Transfer sauerkraut to bowl and wipe out skillet.
• 2. Spread dressing evenly on 1 side of each slice of bread. Layer half of cheese on 4 slices bread, then top with half of corned beef. Divide sauerkraut evenly over meat, then top with remaining corned beef and remaining cheese. Arrange remaining bread, dressing-side down, over cheese.
• 3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in empty skillet over medium heat. Place 2 sandwiches in pan and cook until golden brown on first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip sandwiches and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until second side is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve.
• Note:
• The grilled Reuben, said to have been created in Omaha, Nebraska by local grocer Reuben Kulakofsky for his poker buddies, is the epitome of a classic deli sandwich. However, most recipes we tried produced sandwiches with chilly centers, unmelted cheese, soggy rye, watery sauerkraut, and sugary dressing. Could we come up a foolproof sandwich? Here’s what we discovered:
• Test Kitchen Discoveries
• Our homemade dressing replaces ketchup and horseradish with prepared cocktail sauce. Instead of pickle relish, we used fresh, crunchy hand-chopped pickles and replaced the vinegar with pickle juice. The result is a flavorful hybrid of Russian and Thousand Island dressing.
• To combat sogginess, drain and rinse the sauerkraut and quickly cook it in a skillet with some cider vinegar and brown sugar before layering it with meat and cheese—this not only adds flavor, but allows the sauerkraut’s excess moisture to evaporate. Plus, the hot sauerkraut warms the meat.
• The test kitchen uses shredded cheese to make grilled cheese sandwiches, so we chose shredded Swiss here.
• For fully melted cheese, cover the skillet while cooking the sandwiches. Because cooking time is short, condensation never develops and the higher temperature under the lid melts the cheese perfectly.
• Note: Selecting Sauerkraut
• Briny, salty sauerkraut is an essential component of our Reuben Sandwiches (page 11). To see which brand of sauerkraut is best, we tasted eight national contenders—in jars, cans, and vacuum-sealed bags—both plain and in a Reuben. Right off the bat, tasters panned the heavily processed (and long-cooked) canned brands as “flaccid and flavorless,” “flat.” Jarred and bagged brands are cooked less; these generally had more crunch and flavor. Our winning sauerkraut, Boar’s Head, is a bagged variety that was praised for its “chewy-crisp” texture and “fresh, vinegary kick.” Another bagged brand of sauerkraut, Great Lakes Kraut Co. Krrrrisp Kraut, was our runner-up.
• Reinventing Reuben
• Soggy bread and a cold interior are common problems for Reuben sandwiches. Here’s the secret to a better Reuben.
• Quickly cooking the sauerkraut evaporates the excess moisture that can cause a soggy sandwich; it also provides an opportunity to build flavor by adding sugar and vinegar. The cooked sauerkraut also helps to warm the meat and melt the cheese in the middle of the sandwich.

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