Reuben sandwich
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The Reuben or Reuben sandwich is a grilled or toasted sandwich made with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on rye bread. (The original version may have been served on pumpernickel bread.)
The origin of the Reuben is a contested issue. Most sources conclude that Reuben Kulakofsky (sometimes spelled Reubin), a grocer from Omaha, Nebraska, was the inventor. In fact, it is likely that the sandwich was a group effort by members of Reuben's weekly poker game held in the Blackstone Hotel from c.1920-1935. The participants, who nicknamed themselves "the committee," included the hotel's owner, Charles Schimmel. The sandwich first gained local fame when Schimmel put it on the Blackstone's lunch menu.
Descendents of Arnold Reuben, owner of the now defunct Reuben Restaurant on 59th Street in New York City, also claim the invention. They propose that Arnold Reuben invented the sandwich in 1914 at the request of Charlie Chaplin's costar, Annette Seelos.
Several pieces of evidence support the former version. The oldest extant Reuben artifact is a menu from the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1937. In an article published in the Omaha Evening World-Herald in 1965, Ed Schimmel, son of Charles Schimmel, claims to have visited the Reuben Restaurant where he ordered a Reuben only to discover that "they had never heard of it."
"My great uncle, Reuben Kay [shortened from Kulakofsky], recalled to me the story of his invention of the Reuben sandwich. In his story, he and his friends gathered weekly for a poker game in Omaha's Blackstone hotel. On one occasion, Reuben dreamed up the idea of the sandwich. To everyone's surprise, it was delightful. Subsequently, the creation was entered into a sandwich contest, and took its place in history." Submitted by Mark Cohen.
Recipe
Ingredients: drained sauerkraut, chopped sweet onion, chopped parsley, creamy Russian dressing (2:1 mayonnaise to chili sauce), sliced rye bread, sliced corn beef, sliced Swiss cheese, and butter
-combine the sauerkraut, onion, and parsley -spread Russian dressing on two slices bread -pile layers of corned beef, cheese, and sauerkraut mixture on one slice -add second slice of bread -grill in butter
A modern variation of the Reuben substitutes Thousand Island dressing for the traditional Russian dressing. The Reuben also has a "sister" sandwich, the Rachel. This sandwich replaces the corned beef with pastrami, and the sauerkraut with cole slaw.
External link
- Reuben Realm (http://www.rowlandweb.com/reuben/) In-depth reviews of reuben sandwiches from dozens of restaurants.
References
- Claiborne, Craig. "Whence the Reuben? Omaha, It Seems." The New York Times (May 17, 1976).
- McMorris, Robert. "Omaha Saw Invention of Reuben Sandwich." Omaha Evening World-Herald (September 11, 1965).
- McMorris, Robert. "Just When You Thought Reuben's Roots Were Safe." Omaha World-Herald (January 31, 1986): 2.
- McMorris, Robert. "This Reuben Explanation Seems Hard to Swallow." Omaha World-Herald (July 24, 1989): 2.