1. For the Russian dressing, in a small bowl mix together the ketchup, mayo, and horseradish. This is your Russian dressing!
2. Next, add the cheese to one side of your bread. There are a few ways to melt the cheese and toast the bread:
• Toaster oven: in a toaster toast both pieces of bread at a low temperature so the cheese will melt and the bread will get slightly crisp without burning. I don’t have a toaster so I put my bread in the regular oven at about 160C/320F and toasted it for around 8 minutes.
• On a pan: if you don’t have an oven or a toaster you can toast the bread on a pan at a very low temperature so that the bread won’t start burning before the cheese melts. To make the cheese melt faster you can cover the bread with a pot top to help contain the heat.
• Panini press: If you have a panini press/sandwich maker you can put the Rueben together first and then pop the sandwich in the panini press for a few minutes.
3. For the meat, really almost any way you cut your meat is going to taste good. I found that cutting the loin horizontally made very nice slices. I chose to cut very thin slices for my Reuben, but you can cut thicker slices or even just pull it apart with your hands.
4. To sear the meat, first heat a non-stick pan. When the pan is hot add a little oil. When the oil is hot add your pieces of meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper while it’s cooking. Sear the meat for about 2 minutes on each side, or until each side has a golden brown crispy crust.
5. Assemble the sandwich! On the piece of bread that has no cheese add a generous layer of Russian dressing. Then add your meat and sauerkraut. Top it off with the last piece of bread. Serve with salt & vinegar potato chips and chunky pickle! 🤙
