Mothers Son Rueben Recipes

REUBEN SANDWICH II

Steps:

• Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat.
• Lightly butter one side of bread slices. Spread non-buttered sides with Thousand Island dressing. On 4 bread slices, layer 1 slice Swiss cheese, 2 slices corned beef, 1/4 cup sauerkraut and second slice of Swiss cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.
• Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.

MOM'S CLASSIC REUBEN

Steps:

• Spread margarine onto one side of each slice of bread. Set a large skillet over low heat, and lay 6 bread slices in it with the butter side down. If you can't fit 6, just fry in batches of 3.
• Place slices of cheese onto the bread in the skillet and let cook until the cheese starts to melt. Place slices of corned beef and chicken over the cheese, and then sauerkraut. Spread the creamy dressing onto the dry sides of the remaining slices of bread. Place dressing side down onto the sandwiches.
• Increase the heat to medium, and cook until browned on the bottom. Turn sandwiches over, and cook until golden on the other side.

MOTHER'S SON RUEBEN

Steps:

• Preheat a grill.
• Butter 2 slices of rye bread. Place the bread, buttered side down, on the grill and cook until bread is toasted. Place corned beef on the grill and top with sauerkraut and swiss cheese. Steam all together on the grill. Then when your bread is good and grilled, assemble together. Serve it with Russian Dressing and deli mustard.

PASTRAMI RUEBEN AKA "THE RACHEL"

Steps:

• For the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, chili sauce, sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, dill pickles and shallots in a food processor until thoroughly mixed. Do not over blend, you still want to see some texture. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate in a covered jar until serving time.
• For the sandwich build: Combine half of the dressing with the sauerkraut and toss. Place 1 slice of cheese on a piece of bread. Pile the meat high on the cheese, top with an additional slice of cheese, some of the sauerkraut mixture and the second piece of bread. Butter the outsides of the sandwich. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat. Add the sandwiches, cover with a heatproof bowl and griddle until golden and gooey in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, cover and let cook until golden all around, another 3 minutes. Serve the extra dressing on the side.
• Cook's Note: I love getting a whole piece of pastrami, uncut, from Fumare's in Chicago. If you have a favorite deli, try getting a whole piece and cutting it yourself; the meat will stay nice and tender and you can mix the bark from the end cut with the meatier middle. You'll fall in love with pastrami all over again.

RUEBEN BURGER

Steps:

• For the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, catsup, relish, vinegar, celery seed and hot sauce, mixing well. Then blend with the sauerkraut and hold.
• For the burgers: Preheat a grill to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, blend the beef, corned beef and pork by hand, mixing well until evenly and thoroughly mixed. Next, portion the meat into 4 equal patties and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the burgers on the first side for 5 to 6 minutes, then flip and repeat grilling on the second side.
• While the burgers are cooking, in a saute pan over high heat, add grapeseed oil, allow to heat until smoking then reduce the heat to medium. Next, add the dressed sauerkraut and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring with a spatula during the process. Once cooked, add one-quarter of the dressed kraut on the top of the burgers, and then top with the cheese.
• To build the burgers: Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add the butter to the pan and brown the rolls one at a time, repeating the process until all the rolls have been browned. Then place the dressed burgers on the bottom buns, finish with the bun top and serve.

REUBEN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, mix Crouton ingredients until bread is well coated. Spread in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in 5-quart Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Stir in beef broth and potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork. Stir in corned beef, sauerkraut and salt. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
• Serve soup topped with croutons and Swiss cheese. Drizzle with Thousand Island dressing.