Reuben Sandwich
Also: Reuben, Corned Beef Reuben
An American grilled sandwich of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian/Thousand Island dressing on rye bread.
Identity criteria
- 1Built on rye bread (typically seeded/marble rye)
- 2Corned beef is the defining protein
- 3Sauerkraut provides the essential tangy layer
- 4Swiss cheese is melted into the stack
- 5Russian or Thousand Island dressing binds the flavors
- 6Griddled/grilled so the bread is crisp and the cheese melts
Components
Rye breadessentialSeeded or marble rye; the canonical bread
Corned beefessentialSliced, warmed; the heart of the sandwich
Swiss cheeseessentialMelted between the layers
Butter for griddlingessential
SauerkrautessentialTangy fermented cabbage cuts the richness
Russian or Thousand Island dressingessential
Technique
- Griddling / grilling
- Cooking the assembled sandwich crisps the buttered rye and melts the cheese into the filling
- Layering
- The ordered stack of meat, kraut, cheese, and dressing defines the bite and keeps the bread from going soggy
Form & serving
- Served
- Hot, halved diagonally, often held with a pick
- Temperature
- hot
- Portion
- single substantial sandwich
- Pairs with
- dill pickle · potato chips · coleslaw · fries
Character
Flavour
Texture
crisp griddled bread with melted cheese, tender meat, and crunchy kraut
Eaten
An American deli and diner staple eaten as a hearty lunch, served hot with a pickle and chips or fries.
When
all-year
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Rachel · United States
Pastrami or turkey with coleslaw instead of corned beef and sauerkraut
- Turkey Reuben · United States
Turkey substituted for corned beef, otherwise the same build
Related dishes
- sibling Rachel sandwich
Coleslaw-and-pastrami/turkey variant
- sibling Croque monsieur
Shares the griddled-cheese-sandwich form
Substitutions
Thousand Island dressing → Russian dressingadmissible
Closely related and traditional alternative
Corned beef → Pastramiadmissible
Popular swap, though it becomes a different named sandwich for purists
Rye bread → White or wheat breadinadmissible
Rye is integral to the Reuben's identity and flavor
Sauerkraut → Plain lettuceinadmissible
Removes the essential tangy ferment that defines the sandwich
Common mistakes
- Not draining the sauerkraut, making the sandwich soggy
- Using a non-rye bread, which loses the defining flavor
- Failing to griddle, so the cheese never melts and the bread stays soft
- Skimping on dressing, leaving the layers dry and disconnected
Provenance
An American deli classic of the early 20th century, with competing origin claims in Omaha, Nebraska (Reuben Kulakofsky) and New York City (Arnold Reuben).
Claimed by: United States (Omaha, NE), United States (New York, NY)
References
- 1.American deli tradition
- 2.documented origin disputes (Omaha and NYC)
Confidence: high