HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT REUBEN SANDWICH

Okay, I'm going to begin by giving you the secret to making the best and perfect Reuben. You'll thank me. Here it is: Marinate the sauerkraut in your homemade Russian dressing (recipe below) for 24 hours before assembling the sandwich. But I should tell you in the interest of complete disclosure for those seeking tradition, that that is not how the creator of the Reuben, Reuben Kolakofsky did it. He used unmarinated sauerkraut because the men had run out of lettuce for sandwiches during their weekly poker playing session. Wholesale grocer Kolakofsky substituted the kraut, and grilled the sandwich, it is said, to somewhat hide the pickled cabbage flavor and to melt the cheese. The sandwich was invented between 1920 and 1935.

Charles Schimmel (or his son) eventually put Kolakofsky's sandwich on the menu at a nearby hotel, and in 1956 Fern Snider, a waitress there, entered the sandwich in the National Sandwich Idea Contest. The Reuben won first place, and went on to achieve national popularity. There you have it: the origin and history and secret of the Reuben in a nutshell.

The Reuben sandwich is one of the greatest contributions to the world of eating by the City of New York. Say what you will about New York, but never forget that they gave us the Reuben.

The Reuben is a toasted sandwich made from sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, corned beef and Russian dressing on rye bread. Credit for the invention of the Reuben is given to William Hamerly, an accountant and a bachelor cook who lived in New York. The Reuben was originally served on pumpernickel bread, but people soon realized the error of their ways and began putting it on rye bread.

Most Reuben sandwiches found today are open-faced and broiled. Because of this cooking method, you need to look out for the corned beef drying out and the cheese becoming rubbery. Some restaurant sandwich makers believe bigger is better, but this is not always true. Sometimes the bread is just overstuffed. To make a mouth-watering Reuben, it is important to keep a proper balance of the filling. When you bite into the sandwich, you want to get a harmonious and juicy mouthful.

Tips for making the perfect Reuben:

*Drain the sauerkraut thoroughly, then mix it with the russian dressing. If the
kraut isn't dry before you mix it with the dressing, the sandwich will be soggy.
Heed the secret above, and do this 24 hours ahead of time.

*Heat the meat beforehand in a frypan. Melt the cheese while meat is in the
pan. Get really good rye bread. Butter the bread on the outsides a little.
Assemble sandwich in frypan. Press down on it like you would a panini.

*Never use Thousand Island Dressing. Use Russian and make your own.
Combine 1/2 cup of mayo with a tablespoon of ketchup, a teaspoon of grated
onion, 1/2 teaspoon of horseradish, 1/4 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce,
and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Red caviar is optional.

*Try to get the sauerkraut from the deli counter.

*Get a sandwich press. Now that panini are so popular, more people are
getting them.

Now here's exactly how to make a perfect Reuben sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 slices rye bread (pumpernickel? You might as well use white.) Get the heartiest soft Jewish Rye bread you can find. The thicker the slices the better. Get it from a good Jewish deli if possible.
butter
swiss cheese, sliced fairly thick.
corned beef from deli unless you really know how to cook it. At least 1/4 pound, preferable hand-sliced thick, but machine-sliced at deli counter will do. Check with specialized deli supplier for the absolute best if you can.
sauerkraut, drained, from the deli or in a bag. Never in a can.
Russian dressing (recipe above)

Directions:
1. Butter the bread.
2. Place the cheese on one slice of bread followed by the corned beef and the
second slice of bread.
3. Grill the sandwich in a frying pan until the bread is golden brown and the
cheese has melted.
4. Set the sandwich aside.
5. Saute the drained sauerkraut to warm it.
6. Open the sandwich and add the sauerkraut and Russian dressing.

There you have it. The best sandwich in the world of eating. It should be impossible to eat without making a mess, if it's really a great one. The one you crave when you crave something really good. All you need now is a garlicky kosher dill pickle and some really great deli potato salad and your eating like a king.