Embrace your Irish side with a good Reuben sandwich

In the Region, you’ll find a number of eateries offering a corned beef or Reuben sandwich this time of year. Some places serve it all year long.

At J.J. Kelley’s in Lansing, their Reuben sandwich has been on the menu since day one (and they’re now in their 35th year of business). It’s a popular item  their customers have come to love and in the week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, they go through about 1,000 pounds according to co-owner JoEllyn Kelley.

“We get such a tremendous response to our corned beef,” she said. Corned beef platters are on the menu starting the Friday before the holiday, but the Reuben sandwich is a mainstay on the menu.

There are a couple things that make the sandwich so special. “It’s all hand trimmed,” she said. Briskets are cooked onsite and then trimmed, rather than using a pre-sliced lunchmeat. The other little touch that makes a difference is all of the ingredients going together on the griddle. While sometimes the ingredients are simply layered, Kelley said the kraut is combined with the meat when prepared and then the cheese is melted on top - allowing all the flavors to nicely meld together. They also get a special mini rye that they use to make Reuben sliders.

Lake Dale Ale in Lowell is another spot where you’ll find a traditional Reuben sandwich on the regular menu. With slow-cooked, thinly sliced corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000-Island dressing on toasted marbled rye, it’s a large serving that might stretch for two meals and comes with a side of chips, fries, pasta salad, coleslaw or sautéed vegetables. And you don't have to wait until mid-March to enjoy it.

If you head to Lincoln’s Carry-Out in Hobart, you will find a Reuben among their large selection of sandwiches that have been drawing in customers for decades. Brittany Myers, a third generation of her family to help run the business, said those looking for a corned beef sandwich have a few options.

“Our Reuben has corned beef that we slice thin here on toasted rye with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickle chips,” she said. It’s a little different than the traditional Reuben since it is absent of Thousand Island dressing and has the addition of mustard and pickle chips. “But we make everything to order,” she said. “Everything is customized, so we can swap it out.”

Want to pass on the kraut? They also offer a corned beef that you can get hot or cold and a Pastrami Corned Beef, which Myers said is very popular. It comes with thin sliced corned beef as well as pastrami on toasted rye with mustard and a pickle spear on the side.

Need another reason to stop by there for a St. Patrick’s Day sandwich? As they do each year, they’ll be having their corned beef sale. Through March 17, corned beef sandwiches are half price.

If you’d rather make your own at home and might be looking to do something a little untraditional, check out these recipes from Alpha Baking Co., maker of S. Rosen’s rye bread.

The Maxwell Street Corned Beef Sandwich

You can smell the onions grilling long before you get to your favorite hot dog stand. Many Chicago sandwich classics add these delicious onions and we couldn’t help but wonder how they would be on a classic corned beef. The result is fantastic, the onions add a rich, sweet flavor to the sandwich, and we’re wondering where they’ve been all our life.

For the sautéed onions (enough for about 6 sandwiches)

· 2 Large yellow onions, sliced thin into quarter moons

· 3 tablespoons Salted Butter

· 1/2 teaspoon Salt

For the Assembled Sandwich

· 4 oz. Sliced Deli Corned Beef

· 2 Sport Peppers (optional and best if you slice them in half longwise and take off ends)

· Sautéed Onions

· Yellow Mustard

· 2 Slices S.Rosen’s Seeded Rye Bread (Can sub with plain)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the sautéed onions: Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the onions and salt. Cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat. Can be made ahead of time. Make sure the onions are warmed when assembling the sandwich.

2. To assemble the sandwiches start with a spread of mustard, top with the corned beef, then the sautéed onions and sport peppers. Enjoy!

The Chicago Style Corned Beef Sandwich

In your fridge there is a jar of sweet relish, yellow mustard and sport peppers that have been languishing since fall, waiting until it’s time for backyard bbqs. But why must they wait? Why can’t Chicago’s favorite condiments pair up with another sandwich? The result is delicious and very fresh tasting.

For the Assembled Sandwich

· 2 Slices S.Rosen’s Seeded Rye Bread (Can sub with plain)

· 4 oz. Sliced deli corned beef

· Yellow Mustard

· Neon Green Relish

· Diced White Onion

· 3-4 Roma Tomato Slices

· 3-4 Kosher Dill Pickle Chips (instead of a spear)

· 2 Sport peppers (optional and best if you slice them in half longwise and take off ends)

Instructions

1. Start with a spread of yellow mustard on the base slice of bread, then add the corned beef. After the corned beef add the tomato slices, dill pickle chips, white onion and celery salt.

2. Spread the sweet relish on the other piece of bread then place it on top the tower of ingredients. Enjoy and remember never put ketchup on your corned beef. (do we need to say this?)

The Chicago Italian (Corned) Beef Sandwich

Pretty much every sandwich could benefit from giardiniera. And taking a cue from both Italian beefs and Italian deli subs we’ve created our Italian influenced corned beef sandwich.

For the giardiniera mustard (enough for about 6 sandwiches)

· ½ Cup Yellow Mustard

· ½ cup Giardiniera (hot or mild)

For the Assembled Sandwich

· Giardiniera Mustard

· 4 oz. Sliced Deli Corned Beef

· 2 Slices Provolone Cheese

Instructions

1. To create the giardiniera mustard, put together in a blender and blend until relatively smooth (small chunks of giardiniera are present)

2. Start with a base of corned beef layered on rye bread, next add the slices of provolone.

3. Spread the giardiniera mustard on the top slice. Assemble the sandwich.

4. Toast for about 7 minutes in a toaster oven, or until the sandwich reaches desired doneness and the cheese is melty.