The Impatient Chef Recipe: The Reubenesque Sammich

The Reubenesque Sammich

     This recipe was inspired by a Reuben sandwich that I ate at Bud Clark’s Goose Hollow Tavern sometime in the 1990’s.  I tried for years to figure out what the wonderful sauce that they used in place of the Russian Dressing.  Then, one day while making Buffalo Wings, it came to me like a vision.  Here it is.

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

1/2 pound pastrami

1 cup sauerkraut - drained

4 slices Emmentaler cheese, or enough to coat the inside of both bread slices.

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup hot sauce (Frank’s, or Tapatio)

3 cloves garlic - pressed

4 slices rye bread (caraway rye preferred)

Pastrami and Emmentaler

Tools of the Trade

Directions

1. Melt the butter in an iron (preferred) skillet on medium heat.  Add the garlic, and sauté for about a minute.  Add the hot sauce.  Stir over medium heat until the sauce is hot and the hot sauce is incorporated into the butter.

   

   Fire in the Hole!
2. Add pastrami.  continue to stir.  Move to one side of the pan after it is warmed.  
3. Add the sauerkraut.  

   

   Kraut in!

4. Continue to stir.  Make sure that it is warm, and has sauce throughout.
5. Heat a separate pan, again, preferably an iron skillet on medium heat.  Butter the rye bread, and place 2 slices butter side down in the pan.  Place cover the bread with 2 slices of cheese each.  
6. Put half of the meat onto each slice of bread.  Repeat with the sauerkraut.
7. Place 2 slices of cheese on top of the sauerkraut, and place the remaining bread slices butter side up on the top of both sandwiches.  If your pan isn't big enough, prepare one at a time.  

   

   On the Griddle

8. Cover.  
9. Fry until toasted on the first side, flip and fry covered until toasted.  Beware, the second side doesn't take as long as the first.    
10. Serve.

A few notes on Pastrami:


Rye Bread musings:
     The rye bread must be a cast member, not an extra.  I prefer a caraway rye bread.  If you open the bag, and it smells like supermarket white bread, get your money back.  Good rye breads are getting hard to find, so keep an eye out for it wherever you are.  The freezer is your friend.  Bread will keep in the freezer for a couple weeks.  Double bag it, and it will keep for a couple more.