The Reuben Inferno Sandwich -- A new take on a classic

Today we are going to do a new spin on a sandwich classic. It pays homage to the Reuben sandwich -- which is a smoked meat sandwich with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on dark rye -- while taking it in a fiery new direction!

I call it the Reuben Inferno.


To make the Reuben Inferno, you start by picking up some fresh rye bread at a local deli or bakery. Good rye is important! Either dark or light rye are fine as long as it is good rye.

Top one slice of your rye with a layer of Pastrami, followed by a layer of Montreal Smoked Meat, followed finally by a layer of Genoa or Mexican style spicy salami.

Top your meat slices with two slices of Swiss cheese.

Take your sandwich and place it open face in your oven with the oven set to broil and the oven rack placed at the highest level possible. Put the slice of rye with no topping yet in to broil as well.

Broil the sandwich, watching pretty closely, until the cheese has melted and is golden brown to your liking. This generally only takes 2-4 minutes maximum. Don't burn it!

Once the cheese is broiled, take the sandwich out and top with a nice layer of sauerkraut.

Finally, top with your homemade Reuben Inferno sauce.

You make the Reuben Inferno sauce by blending together thoroughly the following:

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1/2 a large pickle sliced up in small cubes
1-2 teaspoons (depending on how fiery you want it) of a habanero style hot sauce (I used El Yucateco Chile Habanero Sauce, but any similar style of hot sauce will do)

These proportions should make enough sauce for 2-3 sandwiches.

Top the sauerkraut liberally with the sauce, top with the other bread slice and serve!

This is a delicious, spicy sandwich. Enjoy with an ice cold beer and an extra full sour pickle on the side!

See also: Dark Ale Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Sauerkraut

See also: The Sausage Hero -- Reinventing "Chunky Wiener Hero" Sandwiches -- Vintage Cookbook #TBT