Reuben sandwich explained

Reuben sandwich
Country:United States
Creator:Various claims
Type:Sandwich
Course:Main
Served:Warm or hot
Main Ingredient:Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, rye bread, Thousand Island dressing or Russian dressing

The Reuben sandwich is a North American grilled sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing or Thousand Island dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread. It is associated with kosher-style delicatessens but is not kosher, as it combines meat and cheese.[1]

Possible origins

One origin story holds that Reuben Kulakofsky (his first name sometimes spelled Reubin; his last name sometimes shortened to Kay), a Lithuanian-born Jewish grocer residing in Omaha, Nebraska, asked for a sandwich made of corned beef and sauerkraut at his weekly poker game held in the Blackstone Hotel from around 1920 through 1935. The participants, who nicknamed themselves "the committee", included the hotel's owner, Charles Schimmel. Schimmel's son, who worked in the kitchen, made the first Reuben for him, adding Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing to his order, putting the whole thing on rye bread.[2] The sandwich first gained local fame when Schimmel put it on the Blackstone's lunch menu, and its fame spread when a former employee of the hotel won the national sandwich idea contest with the recipe.[3] In Omaha, March 14 was proclaimed Reuben Sandwich Day.[4]

Another account holds that the Reuben's creator was Arnold Reuben, the German-Jewish owner of Reuben's Delicatessen (1908–2001) in New York City. According to an interview with Craig Claiborne, Arnold Reuben created the "Reuben Special" around 1914.[5] [6] Bernard Sobel in his 1953 book, Broadway Heartbeat: Memoirs of a Press Agent states that the sandwich was an extemporaneous creation for Marjorie Rambeau, inaugurated when the Broadway actress visited the Reuben's Delicatessen one night when the cupboards were particularly bare.[7]

Still other versions give credit to Alfred Scheuing, a chef at Reuben's Delicatessen, and say he created the sandwich for Reuben's son, Arnold Jr., in the 1930s.[3]

Variations

Montreal Reuben

The Montreal Reuben substitutes Montreal-style smoked meat for the corned beef.[8]

Thousand Island dressing

Thousand Island dressing is commonly used as a substitute for Russian dressing.[9]

Walleye Reuben

The walleye Reuben features the freshwater fish (Sander vitreus) in place of the corned beef.[10] [11] [12]

Grouper Reuben

The grouper Reuben is a variation on the standard Reuben sandwich, substituting grouper for the corned beef, and sometimes coleslaw for the sauerkraut as well. This variation is often a menu item in restaurants in Florida.[13]

Reuben egg rolls

Reuben egg rolls, sometimes called "Irish egg rolls" or "Reuben balls", use the standard Reuben sandwich filling of corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese inside a deep-fried egg roll wrapper. Typically served with Thousand Island dressing (instead of Russian dressing) as an appetizer or snack, they originated at Mader's, a German restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where chef Dennis Wegner created them for a summer festival circa 1990.[14]

Rachel sandwich

The Rachel sandwich is a variation which substitutes pastrami or turkey for the corned beef, and coleslaw for the sauerkraut. [15] [16] [17] In some parts of the United States, especially Michigan, this turkey variant is known as a "Georgia Reuben" or "California Reuben", and it may also call for barbecue sauce or French dressing instead of Russian dressing. The name may have originated from the 1871 song "Reuben and Rachel".

Dinty Moore sandwich

The Dinty Moore sandwich is a Detroit variation which substitutes coleslaw[18] or shredded lettuce and tomato[19] for the sauerkraut. It is sometimes on toasted white (wheat) bread instead of toasted rye and sometimes omits the Swiss cheese.[19] It is often a triple-decker sandwich.[19]

Vegetarian and vegan versions

Vegetarian versions, called "veggie Reubens", omit the corned beef or substitute vegetarian ingredients for it, including zucchini, cucumbers,[20] wheatmeat,[21] and mushrooms.[22] Vegan versions can use the aforementioned wheatmeat also known as seitan, tempeh[23] or mushrooms with non-dairy cheese, dressing and butter.[24]

Kosher status

As a Reuben combines both meat and dairy ingredients in the same meal, it is not kosher.[25] However, it is frequently served at kosher style restaurants.[26] [27] Kosher versions may be made using non-dairy imitation cheese, or substitute vegetarian corned beef, or omitting the meat or the cheese.[28] [1]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Genger . Tamar . Making a Kosher Reuben Sandwich . Joy of Kosher . 30 October 2014 . 16 July 2019 . en-us.
  2. Web site: Weil . Elizabeth . My Grandfather Invented the Reuben Sandwich. Right? . June 7, 2013 . The New York Times . 17 November 2020.
  3. Web site: The Reuben Sandwich . Jim . Rader . Reuben Realm.
  4. Web site: Today is Proclaimed Reuben Sandwich Day . Jennifer . Griswold . KMTV . dead . https://archive.today/20150315095622/http://www.jrn.com/kmtv/news/198371151.html . 2015-03-15 .
  5. Book: Jared Ingersoll. Danks Street Depot. Murdoch Books. 2006. 9781740455985. 115. Toasted Reuben sandwich.
  6. Craig Claiborne. The New York Times Food Encyclopedia. See also Arnold Reuben interview, American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936–1940, quoted on What's cooking America site.
  7. Bernard . Sobel . Bernard Sobel . Broadway Heartbeat: Memoirs of a Press Agent . Hermitage House . 1953 . New York City . 233 . 1514676.
  8. http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=f748cfa4-1807-4406-bb9b-de2b4d9fcde8 "Montreal Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich"
  9. News: Holl. John . America was sweet on its spicy Russian dressing — until Thousand Island, that is . . December 22, 2014 . October 19, 2018 .
  10. Web site: Walleye Reuben @ Town Ball Tavern. Town Ball Tavern 1 Twins Way. Minneapolis. MN. 2015-03-10. 2017-12-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20171223231726/http://www.foodspotting.com/places/389224-town-ball-tavern-minneapolis/items/800465-walleye-reuben. dead.
  11. News: . Ohio proves to be a great destination for a history- and fun-loving family . Otis . Ginger Adams . September 6, 2015 .
  12. News: . Chez Ballpark: What's good to eat at Miller Park . Deptolla . Carol . May 17, 2012 . For the homestand against the Minnesota Twins this weekend, look for walleye Reuben sandwiches, for $9.25. .
  13. News: . Calloway . Karin . Takeoff on Reuben sandwich makes tasty meal . September 21, 2010 . February 2, 2011 . In Florida … many restaurants serve a grouper Reuben . July 7, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110707193111/http://chronicle.augusta.com/life/food/recipes/2010-09-21/takeoff-reuben-sandwich-makes-tasty-meal . dead .
  14. News: Zeldes . Leah A. . Irish' food in Chicago isn't quite so in Ireland: Who played a role in the reuben egg roll? . . March 10, 2010 . March 15, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100413234018/http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/2090754%2Cirish-food-tradition-031010.article . April 13, 2010 .
  15. Book: Mary-Lane Kamberg. The I Don't Know How to Cook Book: 300 Great Recipes You Can't Mess Up. Adams Media. 2004. 9781593370091. 42. Grilled Reuben sandwich variation: Grilled Rachel sandwich.
  16. Web site: Reuben Sandwich (and Rachel Sandwich, Celebrity Sandwiches) . November 13, 2004 . Barry . Popik . The Big Apple . November 2, 2013.
  17. Book: Joy of Cooking . 75th Anniversary . Rombauer . Irma S. . Becker . Marion Rombauer . Becker . Ethan . Scribner . 2006 . 181 . Reuben Sandwich . For a Rachel, substitute turkey for the corned beef. . 978-0-7432-4626-2 . registration .
  18. https://www.grobbel.com/news-item/dinty-moore-sandwich/ "Dinty Moore Sandwich"
  19. https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/mi/livonia/the-bread-basket-restaurant "The Bread Basket"
  20. Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking for Two, p. 82
  21. Joy Nicholson, "Reubenesque", Los Angeles Magazine September, 2001, p. 52
  22. Cameron Woodworth, Green Cuisine, p. 25
  23. Web site: Editors . Vegetarian Times . Vegan Tempeh Reubens . Vegetarian Times . 7 November 2018 . May 10, 2017 . 7 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181107104056/https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/vegan-tempeh-reubens . dead .
  24. Web site: Vegan Reuben Sandwiches. 10 June 2019.
  25. Jacob Rader Marcus, United States Jewry, 1776-1985, 1989, p. 334
  26. Sue Fishkoff, Kosher Nation, 2010,, p. 103
  27. Book: Moline . Jack . Growing Up Jewish, Or, Why is this Book Different from All Other Books? . 1987 . Penguin Books . 44.
  28. "Kosher Reuben Sandwiches" in Faye Levy, 1,000 Jewish Recipes, 2011,, p. 347

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