Ingredients
- 1kg piece of corned silver side, prepared as below
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 6-8 whole cloves
- 1 tsp pepper corns
- 1 loaf dense bread such as a rye or wholemeal, sliced into twelve
- 12 large slices cheddar style cheese
- Sauerkraut
- 1 large cabbage, shredded
- 2T salt
- Russian dressing – makes approx. 1 cup
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2T tomato sauce
- 1T hot chili sauce
- ½ tsp tobacco sauce or ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ small onion peeled, or spring onion
- 1tsp horseradish
Reuben Sandwich
Method
- For the beef - soak the corned silverside in plenty of fresh cold water overnight
- Drain and simmer until tender in fresh water with a few bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns
- Drain and cool
- For the sauerkraut - in the first of two stackable large bowls, toss the sauerkraut with the salt
- Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and Weigh down with the second bowl, place cans or similar heavy items stacked inside
- Leave undisturbedsomewhere cool for 3 days or up to a week
- Transfer to an airtight jar for storage
- While there are quicker ‘direct to fridge’ methods available, bear in mind that refrigeration is a relatively modern convenience
- Giving your sauerkraut time at room temperature (which was the only option pre your Kelvinator, and the whole idea of this condiment) will deliver a much better product
- For the Russian dressing, combine everything in a small blender or using a mortar and pestle, then store in the fridge in a sterile jar
- To build your sandwich, spread both pieces of bread with the dressing, mound up thin slices of corned beef, top with a good layer of sauerkraut and a slice of cheddar
- Grill to melt the cheese, and top with the second slice of bread
Comments
Sandwiches need not be limp, meanly filled triangles on nutritionally-dubious white bread; here’s one of the world’s great sandwiches, which done right will rival any burger. Make some thick grilled eggplant ‘steaks’ in place of the corned beef and you have an equally good vegetarian option.
