The Ultimate Reuben: Scratch-Made Deli Architecture

Overview

This video guides viewers through engineering 'America's greatest sandwich architecture,' the Reuben, entirely from scratch. It meticulously details the process for curing brisket, baking marble rye, fermenting sauerkraut, preparing Russian dressing, and perfectly assembling the sandwich.

Ingredients

• 2 kg flat-cut beef brisket
• 4 L water
• 300 g kosher salt
• 24 g pink curing salt number one
• Coriander (toasted)
• Mustard seed (toasted)
• Black peppercorns (toasted)
• Fresh water (for cooking brisket)
• 300 g rye flour (for light dough)
• 195 mL water (for light dough)
• Yeast (for light dough)
• Caraway (for light dough)
• 300 g rye flour (for dark dough)
• 195 mL water (for dark dough)
• Yeast (for dark dough)
• Caraway (for dark dough)
• 20 g dark cocoa powder
• Molasses
• 1 kg green cabbage
• 20 g kosher salt (for sauerkraut)
• 120 mL heavy mayonnaise
• 60 mL chili sauce
• 30 g freshly grated horseradish
• 10 g finely minced shallot
• Butter
• 2 slices high-moisture Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. STEP 1: THE CURE (BRISKET)
2. Boil 4 liters of water with toasted coriander, mustard seed, and black peppercorns, then chill it completely.
3. In the chilled spiced water, dissolve 300 grams of kosher salt and 24 grams of pink curing salt number one.
4. Submerge a 2-kilogram flat-cut beef brisket completely in the brine, using a heavy plate to keep it under the liquid.
5. Cure the brisket at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) for five days (120 hours).
6. STEP 2: THE COOK (BRISKET)
7. After five days, pull the brisket out of the brine and rinse it thoroughly under cold water to strip excess surface salt.
8. Place the rinsed meat in a heavy stockpot and cover it with fresh, unseasoned water.
9. Bring the water to a rapid boil, then immediately drop the heat to maintain a gentle simmer at 85 degrees Celsius (185 degrees Fahrenheit).
10. Cover and cook the brisket for exactly three hours, ensuring it yields to a fork but does not shred.
11. Pull the cooked brisket from the water and let it rest on a cutting board for fifteen minutes before slicing.
12. STEP 3: THE MARBLE RYE
13. Prepare two separate doughs at sixty-five percent hydration.
14. For the light dough, mix 300 grams of rye flour with 195 milliliters of water, plus yeast and caraway.
15. For the dark dough, use 300 grams of rye flour, 195 milliliters of water, yeast, caraway, 20 grams of dark cocoa powder, and molasses for color.
16. Knead each dough separately for ten minutes.
17. Let both doughs proof at 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) for ninety minutes.
18. STEP 4: THE SAUERKRAUT
19. Shred exactly 1 kilogram of green cabbage to a 2-millimeter thickness.
20. Weigh your shredded cabbage, then add exactly two percent of that weight (20 grams) in kosher salt.
21. Vigorously massage the salt into the cabbage for ten minutes until it releases its own water to form a natural brine.
22. Pack the cabbage tightly into a glass jar, ensuring it is completely submerged below the liquid line.
23. Seal the jar with an airlock to allow fermentation.
24. STEP 5: THE RUSSIAN DRESSING
25. In a stainless bowl, combine 120 milliliters of heavy mayonnaise, 60 milliliters of chili sauce, and 30 grams of freshly grated horseradish.
26. Add 10 grams of finely minced shallot to the mixture.
27. Whisk vigorously for two full minutes until the emulsion is tight and takes on a pale terracotta color.
28. Cover the dressing and chill it in the refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least one hour.
29. STEP 6: THE ASSEMBLY AND SEAR
30. Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat to exactly 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit).
31. Take two thick slices of baked marble rye and heavily butter the outside-facing sides.
32. On the inside of both bread slices, spread a thick layer of the chilled Russian dressing.
33. Layer 150 grams of the hot sliced brisket onto one bread slice.
34. Follow with 50 grams of drained sauerkraut on top of the brisket.
35. Top with two slices of high-moisture Swiss cheese.
36. Place the sandwich in the preheated skillet and sear for exactly three minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted.

In this video

• A proper Reuben requires the lactic tang of fermented cabbage, the structural integrity of a heavy crumb rye, the emulsified fat of a proper dressing, and a brisket cured with militant precision.
• The curing brine for a 2-kilogram flat-cut beef brisket uses 4 liters of water, 300 grams of kosher salt, and 24 grams of pink curing salt number one, which imparts a signature ruby color and snap.
• After five days in brine, the brisket is rinsed thoroughly, then cooked covered in fresh water at a gentle simmer of 85 degrees Celsius for exactly three hours until it yields to a fork but does not shred.
• Marble rye for the Reuben requires two separate doughs at sixty-five percent hydration, with the dark dough incorporating 20 grams of dark cocoa powder and molasses for color.
• Sauerkraut demands shredding exactly 1 kilogram of green cabbage to a 2-millimeter thickness and adding exactly two percent of its weight, which is 20 grams, in kosher salt.
• Vigorously massage the salt into the cabbage for ten minutes until it releases its own water to form a natural brine for fermentation.
• The scratch-made Russian dressing combines 120 milliliters of heavy mayonnaise, 60 milliliters of chili sauce, 30 grams of freshly grated horseradish, and 10 grams of finely minced shallot, whisked vigorously for two minutes.
• The assembled Reuben, with 150 grams of hot sliced brisket, 50 grams of drained sauerkraut, and two slices of high-moisture Swiss cheese, is seared in a cast-iron skillet at 160 degrees Celsius for exactly three minutes per side.
• Curing the brisket requires exact measurements and 120 hours submerged at 4 degrees Celsius to achieve the proper texture.
• Lacto-fermenting your own sauerkraut demands a strict two percent salt ratio by weight, massaging the cabbage until it creates its own brine.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to cure brisket for a scratch-made Reuben?

Brisket for a scratch-made Reuben must be cured for exactly five days, or 120 hours, submerged in brine at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit).

What is the correct salt ratio for homemade sauerkraut?

For homemade sauerkraut, use exactly two percent of the green cabbage's weight in kosher salt, massaging it vigorously until it releases its own brine.

What is the ideal cooking temperature and time for cured brisket?

After curing, the brisket should be simmered gently at 85 degrees Celsius (185 degrees Fahrenheit) for exactly three hours until fork-tender.

What ingredients create the dark swirl in marble rye bread?

The dark dough for marble rye uses dark cocoa powder and molasses in addition to rye flour, water, yeast, and caraway, giving it a distinctive color.

What are the key components of scratch-made Russian dressing for a Reuben?

Scratch-made Russian dressing combines heavy mayonnaise, chili sauce, freshly grated horseradish, and finely minced shallot, whisked to a tight emulsion.