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Reuben sandwich

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The Reuben sandwich is a classic North American grilled sandwich. It is a warm, savory meal that combines several distinct flavors and textures. The core ingredients include corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. To add moisture and tang, cooks use either Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing. These ingredients are layered between slices of rye bread and then grilled. This process creates a hot, melted sandwich that is popular in many delicatessens.

Corn beef Reuben sandwich
Corn beef Reuben sandwich

The mechanism of making a Reuben involves specific layers to balance the heavy meat and sour cabbage. First, slices of rye bread are prepared for the filling. The corned beef is placed on the bread, often accompanied by the fermented cabbage known as sauerkraut. Swiss cheese is added to provide a creamy, melted element. Finally, a creamy dressing like Thousand Island or Russian dressing is spread throughout. The entire assembly is then grilled, which heats the meat and melts the cheese into the other ingredients.

Many variations of the Reuben exist to suit different tastes and regional preferences. In Montreal, the Montreal Reuben uses Montreal-style smoked meat instead of corned beef. There are even seafood versions, such as the Walleye Reuben, which uses walleye fish. In Florida, the Grouper Reuben substitutes grouper for the meat and sometimes uses coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. Another popular variation is the Reuben egg roll. These "Reuben balls" use the standard filling inside a deep-fried egg roll wrapper and were created by chef Dennis Wegner in Milwaukee around 1990.

There are several competing stories regarding the sandwich's origin. One account places its creation in Omaha, Nebraska, between 1920 and 1935. A Lithuanian-born Jewish grocer named Reuben Kulakofsky reportedly requested a sandwich of corned beef and sauerkraut during poker games at the Blackstone Hotel. The hotel owner, Charles Schimmel, had a son in the kitchen who added cheese and dressing to the order. This version gained fame when a former employee won a national sandwich contest with the recipe. Because of this history, Omaha celebrates Reuben Sandwich Day every March 14.

Another historical theory links the sandwich to New York City. Arnold Reuben was the German-Jewish owner of Reuben's Delicatessen from 1908 to 2001. Some believe he created a "Reuben Special" around 1914. Another account suggests the sandwich was an extemporaneous creation for actress Marjorie Rambeau. This happened when the deli's cupboards were nearly empty. A third version credits a chef named Alfred Scheuing, who may have made the sandwich for Arnold Reuben's son, Arnold Jr., in the 1930s.

Dietary needs and religious laws lead to many specific versions of the sandwich. A standard Reuben is not kosher because it combines meat and dairy in a single meal. However, it is often served in kosher-style restaurants. To make a kosher version, one might use non-dairy imitation cheese or remove the cheese entirely. For vegetarians, "veggie Reubens" replace the beef with ingredients like zucchini, cucumbers, mushrooms, or wheatmeat. Vegan versions use non-dairy butter, dressing, and cheese, along with tempeh or seitan.

Other regional variations change the protein or the toppings to create new identities. The Rachel sandwich is a common variation that swaps corned beef for turkey or pastrami. It also uses coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. In Michigan, this turkey version is sometimes called a "Georgia Reuben" or a "California Reuben." Some versions even use barbecue sauce or French dressing. In Detroit, a variation called the Dinty Moore uses coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. These diverse iterations show how a single recipe can adapt to many different culinary cultures.

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