Reuben Recipe

Make dressing

In a small bowl, combine 0.25 cups mayonnaise, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish, 1 tsp finely minced onion or shallot, 0.5 tsp white vinegar, 0.25 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.125 tsp black pepper. Whisk until smooth and taste; adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate while assembling sandwiches (can be made up to 2 days ahead).

Prepare sauerkraut

Place 1 cup drained sauerkraut in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse briefly with 1 tbsp apple juice or water if you prefer a milder flavor. Squeeze lightly to remove excess liquid. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter. Add sauerkraut and 1 tsp black pepper and warm, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Assemble sandwiches

Lay out 4 slices rye bread. Spread a thin layer (about 1 tbsp total per sandwich, or to taste) of the prepared thousand island dressing on the inside of two slices to be the bottom of each sandwich. Divide 8 oz thinly sliced corned beef evenly onto the two dressed bread slices (about 4 oz per sandwich). Top the corned beef with half of the warmed sauerkraut (about 0.5 cup per sandwich) and place 2 slices of Swiss cheese over the sauerkraut on each sandwich. Finish with the remaining two bread slices, inside facing down.

Grill sandwiches

Butter the exterior sides of each sandwich with the remaining 2 tbsp unsalted butter (about 1 tbsp per exterior side). Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat. Place sandwiches in the skillet and grill 3–5 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. If cheese is slow to melt, cover the pan for 1–2 minutes to trap heat.

Serve

Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and cut each in half on the diagonal. Serve immediately with extra thousand island dressing on the side if desired.