Category Archives: Reuben Sandwich

Oh Mamka!

A direct lift, from Lucky Peach. The zine jumps into the box regularly, but rarely do I turn it’s enticingly sticky pages. Thanks to Ms. Stephenie Fu for the roundabout alert. From her inbox to my FB wall to the internets to me to you.

Not to brag or anything, but decades ago my friend Mary Lynn passed along her friend Al’s recipe for Reuben Loaf. Reuben Babka, mama! Time to bring out that chestnut, fire up the Viking, and bake. I feel a Tuesday lunch special comin’ on.

I could NOT find my recipe in the 3-ring binder so I sent out a note. Both Mary Lynn and Al responded to my Reuben Loaf recipe ask. Mary Lynn’s is below, including her peppy sign off, you betcha!

Here’s the Reuben Loaf recipe—originally from Al Gabor:

I took the liberty of changing Thousand Island Dressing to Russian.

1/4 cups flour
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup Russian dressing
1TBS butter
6 oz sliced corned beef (or pastrami is you prefer it)
1/4 lb sliced swiss cheese
8 oz sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 egg white, beaten
caraway seed

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. Mix in butter, sugar, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough.  Knead about 4 minutes.

Cover and let rise in a greased bowl over hot water 20 minutes. Punch down. On greased baking sheet, shape dough into 10 x 14 rectangle.  Let rise 20 minutes.

Spread dressing down center third of dough lengthwise.  Top with layers of beef, cheese, and sauerkraut.  Cut 1 inch strips out to dough edges from filling. Fold strips across filling in alternating pattern, weaving them..  Brush with egg white; sprinkle with caraway.

Bake at 400 degrees 25 minutes. Voila!  Wisconsin Babka!

FEATURE

Three Sandwich-Inspired Babkas to Try Today

Not True Babkas, but delicious nonetheless.

BY SARAH DIGREGORIO MAY 27, 2016

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY BABKA

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Childhood, in babka form. Recipe here.

CUBANO BABKA

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Pork in a babka might seem sacrilegious but it’s just delicious. Recipe here.

MUFFULETTA BABKA

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A new take on a New Orleans classic. Recipe here.

While My Onion Gently Weeps

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA—Praising its standard features and overall dependability, J.D. Power and Associates released a new set of rankings Thursday, naming the Reuben the number-one midsize sandwich in its class. “With an eye-catching, compact design that lends itself to easy handling, the Reuben remains one of the most reliable midsize sandwich options on the market,” said reviewer Leonard Winston, adding that, despite the high-quality materials used in its well-crafted interior, the sandwich still maintains its status as a practical and affordable choice for the average consumer. “In addition to its visual appeal, repeated testing shows that the sandwich’s sturdy corned beef, sauerkraut, and rye-based construction holds up extremely well against both front and side impact. Frankly, the Reuben is unmatched in value even when compared alongside popular European imports such as the caprese and Monte Cristo.” Winston added that, for those who like the sleeker look that comes with taking the top off, the Reuben can easily be converted to open-faced.

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch…er…Russian…dressing…the world is in disarray. Russian Dressing has fallen off the planet, with no decent explanation, and been replaced with…really???…Thousand Island. Yes, that stuff of ketchup and mayonnaise. Thousand Island has its place – on iceberg in 1965. But NOT ON A REUBEN.

The Washington Post weighed in on the Russia Dressing issue recently and the scales fell from my eyes. Quelle horreur! Thousand Island has been masquerading as Russian.

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While I am shouting…to make a proper New Jersey Sloppy Joe YOU NEED RUSSIAN DRESSING.  Click on the link to find a certified recipe for the stuff.

Foisting Thousand Island dressing on the masses is the work of the bottlers. And why, why, why? Surmise all you like, we must take back the bite. The bite of Russian, with its horseradish, paprika and chopped pickles.

Thousand Island, step off. Reubenesquers, unite.

 

Pecking Order

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Pecking Order

The heart of Pecking Order, as announced a while back, is chicken marinated in Subido’s mom’s marinade (including soy sauce, sugar, garlic and vinegar), which you can order grilled, roasted or fried. Sides will include “Saucy Tots” which she describes as “a Filipino poutine” with tomato gravy over housemade tater tots, garlic rice, adobo-stuffed rice puffs, or housemade (by Mama Subido) pickles.”  YES PLEASE.

To that signature lineup she’s now added a selection of sandwiches on pandesal bread, the primary bread of the Philippines, similar to Mexican bolillo rolls, with fillings such as chicken, housemade pate, pickles and fried egg. And she’s planning salads with brightly-flavored ingredients like mango, jicama, and calamansi (a Filipino citrus) dressing. There will be Halo Halo, the traditional fresh fruit and shaved ice dessert. Read on here UH HUH.

Though the store is closing, the Pecking Order brand will now focus more on catering, pop-up dinners, special events and farmer’s markets, including the Low-Line Market outside the Southport Brown Line station every Thursday, and The Nosh, a lunch market Downtown every Thursday and Friday, where Pecking Order will appear every other Thursday. Read more here. OH NO.

 WHAT GAWKER SAYS

Stuff like this:

Man vs. Food Host’s New Show on Hold After He Called Woman a “C**t”

Adam Richman, a man who eats sandwiches professionally, was scheduled to eat some other things professionally today as part of a new show called Man Finds Food. That’s no longer going to happen, because the Man vs. Food host started an Instagram flame war that culminated in his calling a woman a “c**t.” » 7/02/14 10:12am

AND THIS

GAWKER’S SANDWICH PECKING ORDER

55. Elvis                                   26. Veal parm
54. Fat Darrell                        25. Fried chicken
53. St. Paul sandwich           24. Lampredotto
52. Chow mein sandwich     23. Primanti Bros.
51. Tuna salad                        22. The Gatsby
50. Roast beef                        21. Caprese
49. Fluffernutter                   20. Bacon, egg & cheese
48. Italian beef                      19. Oyster po’ boy
47. Eggplant parm                18. Ice cream
46. Beef on weck                   17. Peanut butter & jelly
45. Horseshoe                       16. Cuban
44. Tuna melt                       15. Shrimp po’ boy
43. Cheese                             14. Club
42. Hot Brown                      13. Pulled pork
41. Sloppy Joe                       12. Kokoreç
40. Chip butty                       11. The Dennis
39. Chicken salad                 10. Cheesesteak
38. Ham                                  9. Chicken parm
37. Croque-monsieur           8. BLT
36. Croque-madame             7. Bánh mi
35. Turkey                               6. Muffaletta
34. French Dip                       5. Pilgrim
33. Corned beef                      4. Porchetta
32. Steak                                  3. Lobster roll
31. Patty melt                          2. Grilled cheese
30. Pastrami                            1. Italian hoagie
29. Reuben
28. Egg salad
27. Bologna

WHAT I SAY

HEY WHAT ABOUT 

Fried Brain, Mother-in-Law, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, Felafel, Meatball, Breaded Pork Tenderloin, Grouper Dog, Peanut Butter and Banana, Gyro, Pork Roll, Spiedies, Tomato Sandwich and Souvlaki

???

My Pecking Order

1. Reuben, Hot Brown, French Dip, Cuban, Breaded Pork Tenderloin, New Jersey Sloppy Joe, Cheesesteak, Banh Mi, Italian Hoagie, Beef on Weck, Fried Perch, Grilled Cheese, BLT, Corned Beef with Cole Slaw and Russian Dressing, Primanti Bros, The Gatsby, Meatball, Egg Salad, Croque Monsieur and Madame, Porchetta, Lobster Roll, Muffaletta and Poor Boy.

2. Everything else.

Fall In

Thanks to the Sublime Miss M for the aLeRt!

 

 

Reuben Tuesday: Did Some Guy Named Reuben Invent This Sandwich?

This Tuesday, December 6th is Reuben Tuesday at the Linkery. We’ve got another batch of our house-cured grass-fed corned beef ready to roll. Made with house-cured sauerkraut from organic Suzie’s Farm cabbage, house-baked beer bread, Pt. Reyes Toma cheese, and house made Russian dressing, our Reuben is the single most popular item we make and serve.

A friend from my days at the Tabard Inn recently posted in depth about Reubens on San Diego’s The Linkery site.

When it comes to favorite anythings, my field is usually wide, but not when it comes to a Reuben. It’s the top. It’s the Coliseum, the Louvre Museum, a melody from a symphony by Strauss. A Bendel bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet, Mickey Mouse!

In respect to loving deep rather than wide, read the post  to deepen your understanding of this sandwich pinnacle. Mahatma Gandhi, Napoleon Brandy, the purple light of a summer night in Spain. The National Gallery, Garbo’s salary, cellophane!

Simply click on the title above. Love me, love my favorite sandwich.