I started using sourdough starter in rye bread because I wanted to recreate the loaves I ate while living in Russia. Then I tried a smoked-beet Reuben at the deli run in the mid-2010s by Three Forks Grille in Columbia Falls. This sandwich became my main use of sourdough rye bread and an array of homemade creations.
I’ve shared recipes for most of the layers in this column and The Complete Guide to Pickling. They’re staples in my kitchen, along with homegrown and dry-stored golden and red beets and garlic. So this is a quick sandwich to put together after I’ve baked a rye loaf: I just need to mix up my take on Russian dressing.
If you make and keep these layers on hand, you can make this sandwich just as effortlessly:
- Sourdough Rye Bread: I find this bread lasts around a week at room temperature and a few more days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.
- Roasted and Smoked Beets: Smoked beets last for up to four days in an airtight container in the fridge. Pickling them extends their fridge life further.
- Homemade Sauerkraut: I included three kraut variations in the fermentation chapter of my pickling book. They last from two months to more than a year.
- Homemade Small-Batch Yogurt or Homemade Sour Cream: Use either for the creamy, tangy dressing base. The homemade versions last two to three weeks in my fridge.
- Chili Paste: I make a paste from Home-Smoked Chili Peppers for extra smokiness or use a hot sauce from my pickling book for a hint of heat. All last in the fridge for years.
- Prepared Horseradish: I grow this perennial and make vinegar-based horseradish paste, also in my pickling book, in small batches. It keeps well in the fridge but loses potency with time.
You can substitute store-bought ingredients as needed and even replace or supplement the smoked beets with traditional corned beef, although I recommend sampling the vegetarian version.
Vegetarian Smoked-Beet Reuben
Makes 1 sandwich
1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili paste, or hot sauce to taste
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 slices sourdough rye bread
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 large roasted and smoked beet, sliced
4 tablespoons sauerkraut
In a medium bowl, place the yogurt or sour cream, vinegar, chili paste, prepared horseradish and garlic. Whisk to combine.
Butter one side of each bread slice. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of dressing on each unbuttered surface; refrigerate the remaining dressing for later use. Top one slice of dressing-smeared bread with three cheese slices, followed by the beets and sauerkraut. Cover with the remaining cheese slices and then the other slice of bread, dressing side down.
Warm a medium cast-iron or other nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet and cook three to five minutes per side, until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s spice and sauce workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.