Ultimate Reuben Sandwich

If you’re a regular GrillSeeker reader you know: I don’t waste food.

Why throw out a perfectly good meal when you can use a little creativity to transform it into something new and spectacular. Whether you’ve got leftover steak or leftover sauce, there’s something you can do to make it new again.

So…what’s the best thing you can do with leftover corned beef? Make Reubens. One of the best sandwiches out there, this tangy flavorful sandwich is worth every indulgent bite.

Before you get started, consider giving your corned beef a little TLC. The beef can dry out in a refrigerator, so if you’re using leftovers, I recommend putting them in a baking dish with about 3/4 cup of beef broth. Pop the dish in the microwave for about 45 seconds to a minute and you’ll have corned beef so juicy, you’ll swear you just carved it today.

But the real star of this recipe is the dressing, which may be one of the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. The secret here is to make sure you buy India relish—not sweet relish. It can be difficult to find India relish, but if it’s not at your local grocer, you can get it on Amazon. Another great way to pump up the flavor is with to take store-bought sauerkraut to the next level with my recipe.

I also recommend getting fresh rye bread if you can, because it’s hard to beat fresh bread.

Ultimate Reuben Sandwich

Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 10 mins.| Cook time: 10 mins.

Ingredients
Russian Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp chili sauce
2 tbsp India relish
2 tbsp finely diced red onion
1 tbsp horseradish
1 tsp hot sauce (more if you like it a bit spicier)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Sandwich:
1 loaf fresh rye bread
2 lbs smoked corned beef thin sliced
16 slices of Swiss Cheese
2 cups sauerkraut, strained
1/2 stick unsalted butter (room temp) plus 2 tbsp for the grill

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Light grill and set up for direct heat under a grill griddle. If you don’t have a griddle for your grill, you can also use a cast iron griddle.

Step 2: Combine all ingredients for Russian dressing in a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk together.

Step 3: Butter one side of each piece of rye bread. If possible, find yourself a Jewish deli and get a fresh loaf of rye–don’t forget to have them slice it. Fresh rye is seriously one of my favorite things. Don’t worry if you don’t have a deli or bakery in your area, you can use prepackaged rye bread and the sandwich is still gonna rock.

Step 4: Using a colander to strain the sauerkraut, removing as much water as possible with paper towels. Don’t rinse the kraut, you want it to maintain its slightly salty flavor and rinsing with water will diminish that.

Step 5: Place 8 pieces of bread, butter side down over indirect heat, adding two slices of cheese to 4 of them.

Step 6: To hot griddle surface, add 2 tablespoons butter. Once the butter melts, add the sauerkraut. I like to warm up the kraut and get the edges just a little crispy. This is the perfect way to do it. Mix around with tongs for 3-5 minutes, or until kraut is hot.

Step 7: Equally divide kraut onto each slice of bread with cheese. Top these slices with equal portions of corned beef and 2 more slices of cheese. Place the bottom sandwich halves onto the hot griddle surface along with the remaining 4 pieces of bread, all butter side down. This will get that nice crunchy crust on the fresh rye bread that’s just incredible.

TIP: be sure your corned beef is warm and moist as indicated earlier.

Step 8: Remove bread from griddle after about 2 minutes, or when bread is nicely toasted.

Step 9: Add a generous portion of the homemade Russian dressing to the bottom portion of the sandwiches, then top with the remaining 4 slices of toasted bread. Slice and serve with chips.

Make this Ultimate Reuben Sandwich recipe: