Reubenesque Reuben Sauce

“Reubenesque” Reuben Sauce: So good in so many ways!

Homemade Reuben Sauce is A MUST when making your own Reubens. There are a million different recipes out there, and after more than a few trials, I finally came up with a tangy sauce the I liked enough to share.

This recipe was originally published March 2017. Updated March 2021, and March 2023.

I like a Reuben Sauce that doesn’t get lost in the sandwich. It has to hold its own against the dark, rich bread and the tart sauerkraut (I’m a big fan of good kraut!). Of course, it also has to pair well with the corned beef, pastrami, or turkey – whatever happens to be the deli pick of the day.

Texture is also important in a good a Reuben Sauce, which helps balance the creaminess. Tasty dried onion flakes and plenty of finely chopped cornichons (tiny, garlic-y pickles) add just enough “bark” to the “bite” of this Reubenesque Reuben Sauce. And to brighten things up, a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice balance the rich savory notes.

This sauce hits all the important points on my list, and then some!

Try This Reuben Sauce In Other Ways

The name of the recipe, of course, implies what it’s intended for. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying this Reuben Sauce in other ways!

• This sauce also makes a delicious chicken, turkey, and fish sandwich spread. It’s great on burgers too!
• Serve this creamy sauce with chicken tenders, fried fish, and fresh vegetables.
• Drizzle over grilled or roasted chicken, fish, and pork tacos.

The name of this recipe is also a bit tongue-in-cheeky because one wouldn’t exactly call this a light recipe, but then again, we’re not pairing it with carrot sticks (although it’s a very tasty dipping sauce for veggies). It’s meant to be good… And it is!

Good Ingredients Make All The Difference

Reuben sandwiches are the kind of thing you have serious cravings for – I know I do! And when you have a Reuben, you want it to be really good. They’re meant to be bold and tangy with lots of flavor in every bite.

Because classic Reubens have relatively few ingredients, the best quality ingredients make all the difference. Start with fresh pumpernickel, rye, or caraway seed bread – what ever you like best. Get the good pastrami or corned beef – I used my favorite thick, deli-sliced pastrami with peppered edges here. It’s so good! The same goes for the Swiss cheese – the nice, thick deli slices that melt over the edges of the bread when you toast your Reubens are the best.

Now let’s talk about the kraut, y’all. Reubens need good, tart sauerkraut that’s lightly crunchy. My first tastes of sauerkraut were of my German grandmother’s home-grown, homemade sour kraut (which is what she called it). It had plenty of pucker power which set the bar pretty high when I started looking for store bought versions later in life. She’d probably question the heaping teaspoon of celery seeds that I sometimes toss in when I make my kraut, but I’m pretty sure she’d approve after a taste. I love the aromatic “edge” that the celery seeds add.

As for how you put the whole thing together, that’s another story. Just like the ingredients used (and, yes, the “must haves” are my personal faves but you may very well have other ideas…), the end result is all about personal preferences.

But, details matter here, my friends… Details. Matter.

7 Steps for a great Open Face Reuben

Like open face sandwiches? Me too! A good open face sammie is all about balance: Not too sparse, but not so heavily piled that you end up with a soggy mess. You call the shots with your sammies, but for a little bit of crunch, and a whole lot of tangy, melty, Reuben deliciousness without too much bulk, here are my favorite tips!

1. Slather copious amounts of Reuben Sauce on the bread (because it’s all about the sauce here)!
2. Pile on a healthy amount of beautiful  pastrami or corned beef.
3. Sprinkle on a layer of kraut – making sure to squeeze out the excess liquid first so you don’t end up with saturated bread. See above note about adding celery seeds to your kraut… Just sayin’.
4. Finish with strips, shreds or chopped slices of good Swiss cheese rather than just laying a whole slice on top.
   1. In my experience, if you just cover the the sammie with a thick slice of cheese, the heat doesn’t distribute well enough through the ingredients below. Break it up a bit, and all the flavors warm up and come together beautifully.
5. Place sammies on a baking sheet, and toast under the broiler for 3 – 5 minutes or so.
   1. I determine “doneness” when I see the edges of my bread darken as they toast. The color of the Reuben Sauce intensifies as it caramelizes, and the Swiss becomes a beautifully melted mess on top of it all.
6. When ready, pull the pan out of the oven, top with more sauce and – if you’re a crazy garnish fanatic like I am – sprinkle more finely chopped cornichons on top!
7. Devour immediately, licking your fingers unapologetically as needed.

Full-On, Pan-Toasted Reuben Melt

If you want even more of the good things that make Reubens so crave-worthy, go all the way:

1. Pre-heat a pan on the stove top over medium-low heat.
2. Butter the “outsides” of two pieces of bread, then lay bread – buttered sides down – on a plate, and follow steps 1 – 4 above.
3. Once layered, put the top piece of bread on your sammie and place the whole thing – buttered side down – into the pre-heated pan.
4. Cook the first side for a minute or two until bread is toasted to your liking. Then flip the Reuben over with a spatula, and repeat the toasting process.
5. When both sides are toasted, remove from pan. Plate the sandwich, top with a couple more cornichons, and devour while it’s all warm and melty.

Think about it… After you’ve gone through the trouble of getting all the good stuff to make the best tasting Reubens to cure your cravings, a lack luster sauce just wouldn’t do. Don’t risk it… Whip up a batch of this Reuben Sauce instead, and as always…

Enjoy!

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Reubenesque Reuben Sauce

This wonderfully complex, easy to make “Reubenesque” Reuben Sauce will make all your Reuben sammy dreams come true! Also great on chicken, fish, pork and veggies… Take a look!

Cuisine Dips, Sauces &amp

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup ketchup
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp. cornichons (about 6), finely chopped
• 1 tsp. capers, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. dried onion flakes
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp. Worchestershire
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a small glass mixing bowl, combine the ingredients and stir well. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes, or overnight if possible, to allow flavors to marry before enjoying.

2. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered glass (non-reactive) container for up to 3 days.

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