Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich

When I bought the stuff for corned beef and cabbage, I also bought the stuff so I could make Reubens. I love Reubens! They're one of my go-to meals when I'm out for lunch, but nothing beats the ones you make in your own kitchen. And they're easy! The hardest part is remembering to save enough corned beef so you can make them, but I usually try to buy the biggest brisket I can find so there's plenty.

Here's my thing: Reubens are made with corned beef and sauerkraut. They are not made with turkey. They are not made with coleslaw. They are not broiled, and they are not baked. They are grilled or fried, in butter, and they are not meant to be made healthier. Because if you can't indulge now and then, life gets pretty darn awful.

I can almost feel the nasty looks my ancestors are shooting at me for cheating this much on ingredients. The only thing I cooked myself is the corned beef (although I also cheated and didn't brine my own). I bought a loaf of good deli rye bread from a local bakery, and everything else came off the shelf. If I was doing this correctly I'd have made sauerkraut and dressing, but I did not. I also didn't spring for the good deli cheese because this was on sale and I had a coupon.

Doesn't matter. Got Reubens!

Not shown, because I forgot to take pictures, is the corned beef sliced, and the sauerkraut heating in a pan on the stove. I sliced the corned beef about 1/4 inch thick, then stuck it in the microwave for 1 minute just to take the chill off since it had been in the refrigerator. A lot of recipes will tell you to drain and rinse the sauerkraut, but those people are wrong. There's no flavour if you do that! I do drain it before I put it on the bread or the sandwich would be soggy, but I heat it with the brine from the jar to keep the tangy bite. And by "drain", what I mean is I pick it up with a fork and hold it over the pan until it stops dripping.

I then laid slices of corned beef on rye bread, and then put something like 1/2 cup of sauerkraut on each one. That's a full-sized dinner plate, to give you an idea of how big my bread was.

This is the important part! Put your Thousand Island on before you add the cheese! This keeps it from soaking into the bread and making a soggy mess. Also, it then permeates the entire sandwich rather than just sitting there on one side.

Top it with Swiss (some people use other cheese, but Swiss is best), and then put the other piece of bread on top. By the way, while you're assembling the sandwich you should be melting about a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet big enough to fit both sandwiches, or on a griddle.

Carefully lay the sandwiches in the skillet (I have never done this without burning my fingers at least once; I've just come to accept that as the dues I must pay to have a fabulous sandwich). Fry them about 4-5 minutes, then flip and add more butter to fry the other side. The bread should be crispy, the cheese melted, and everything heated through (which is why I heat the corned beef and sauerkraut separately, because they don't always get hot as fast as the bread gets done). The butter will have mostly been absorbed by the bread, and assuming your cheese hasn't become one with your pan, cleanup is a breeze.

We just got done eating about an hour ago, my stomach is still so full I look like I'm six months pregnant... and my mouth is watering all over again just looking at this picture. You know what, though? I have more of everything. Odds are good this will be lunch tomorrow, too. Because I can.

Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich

Serves 2

1/2 pound corned beef brisket, cooked and sliced about 1/4-inch thick

1 cup sauerkraut

1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices deli rye bread

2 tablespoons butter

Do not drain sauerkraut! Heat in a pan over medium-low heat until hot, about 10 minutes. Lay slices of corned beef on a plate and microwave on high for 1 minute, just to heat through. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Lay 2 slices of rye bread on a plate. Divide evenly between the two pieces (in order): corned beef, sauerkraut (drain before putting on sandwich), Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss cheese. Top with remaining 2 slices of bread.

Carefully lay sandwiches in preheated pan and fry approximately 4-5 minutes. Flip sandwiches and add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan and fry another 4-5 minutes, until cheese is melted, bread is crisp, and sandwich is completely heated through.

Remove to plates, and cut in half to serve.

Serving Size: 342g

Calories: 776

Calories from Fat: 489

Total Fat: 54.3g

Saturated Fat: 24.9g

Trans Fat: 0.0g

Cholesterol: 161mg

Sodium: 2201mg

Total Carbohydrates: 40.6g

Dietary Fiber: 8.3g

Sugars: 6.8g

Protein: 35.4g

Like I said...not at all anything that even bears a passing resemblance to healthy. But a Reuben is one of those things that simply should not be messed with or health-ified, or anything else. Just enjoy the guilty pleasure and add a few reps the next time you're at the gym. Or eat a salad to make up for it. Or whatever makes you happy.

Me, I'm just going to sit here rubbing my belly and enjoying the fact that my taste buds are still singing. Because life should include some indulgences, and this is one of mine.