Aside from the name people always accidentally call me, the reuben is also supposedly a very tasty sandwich. 
I love sandwiches so very much (I’m just gonna drop this here). Wiki’s page “List of Sandwiches” is legitimately exciting to me – the ‘broodje kroket, ‘yakisoba-pan‘, the ‘carrozza‘! I want to make them all and just looking at the list is a great way to get food-spiration on simple but exciting food. I ALSO love the idea of using meat sandwiches specifically as a kick off point for adventurous new vegetarian combinations. What about a meatball sub or a philly cheesesteak that doesn’t consist of the usual mock meats such as seitan or tofu? What about an eggplant ball? Shredded dehydrated turnip? Since I have never tried any real meat sandwiches (lies, I have had a big mac and I liked it for that tasty sauce but am ultimately repulsed by the meat consumption) I like to ask people about the components and what really makes the meat a useful addition in their minds. In the reuben, the buttery yet sumptuous texture and the saltiness to offset the sauerkraut’s sourness seem to be the crucial elements for corned beef. I was determined to avoid typical meat substitutes and just see if I could focus on those aspects, saltiness and texture. Here is what I ended up with:
Reuby's Reuben
for 1 sandwich:
- 2 slices of rye
- russian dressing
- red sauerkraut
- potato-nut cake
- 2 slices swiss
- butter
Instructions:
Butter two slices of bread, flip one slice and spread a layer of russian dressing, layer of swiss, layer of potato-nut cake, layer of kraut, another layer of swiss, top with other slice, buttered slice out.
Fry on med/high for 3 mins on each side, lightly pushing down with spatula.
russian dressing: mix together
- 1 tbsp mayo
- 1 tsp ketchup, diced onions
- a dash of worcestershire sauce
- diced onion
- a squidge of sriracha
potato-nut cake:
- 4 red potatoes par boiled and diced
- a handful walnuts and cashews
- onion
- garlic, 1 clove
- arrowroot, half tbsp
- dash red wine vinegar
- dash parsley
- bouillon, 1 tsp
- generous dash of salt (corned beef is salty, keep tasty)
- dash of white pepper
instructions: par boil potatoes and then dice them up and mix with rest of ingredients. Lay on sheet of wax paper and fold wax paper over. Roll out with rolling pin, until about half an inch thick. Put in freezer for at least 10 minutes. This will help it keep form. Place in pan and cook for 3 mins on both sides. Don’t worry if it crumbles in the the pan, just make sure both sides get a nice good cook.
red sauerkraut: click for link
