Pastrami or Corned beef? The Reuben debate

I have to agree with Camster that a Reuben is made with corned beef. I love a good Reuben but prefer pastrami on rye. And Katz's Deli, in my limited experience, has the best in the world. Sadly, I'm in Atlanta and haven't found a good deli here.
 
I hate everyone of you for bringing this subject up. I had no idea there was a choice. I have went to different places and NOTHING has stood up to the taste of a place that closed up a few years ago. The Ruby Seahorse in Edisto Island South Carolina. I have not found anything that even came close. Now I guess I need to find a new place now thanks to yall.
 
AHHH, the delicious, under rated, and under appreciated RUBEN sandwich. That is in the top 3 on my favorite sammich list. As far as my favorite ruben I just can't decide. I love 'em both. I will switch and have one one time and the other another time. Some places I get them just make them one way or the other. Either way they are hard to beat.

The other two sammiches in my top 3 are the BLT on sour dough toast and the good ol' PB&J on white bread. I'd hate to have to choose just one.
 
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I LOVE Reuben's with corned beef. I also LOVE pastrami but have never had a reuben with pastrami. I guess I need to rectify that
 
I'm not big on enforcing tradition for the sake of tradition, especially with foods. However, the Rueben to me has always been corned beef on rye w/kraut and perhaps some onions...and Thousand Island.
 
Here in the "Burgh",....CAR-HOPS ; makes a tasty Rueben .The marble rye is as big as a coffee table.
In the "Strip" on Smallman Street.
You can't destroy it with take out... too much kraut.
Eat it there with the atmosphere, before it could get soggy.
 
I'm kind of a traditionalist (and a goy who could quite happily have grown up eating Jewish food), so I think a Reuben should be made with corned beef.

On the other hand I would mortgage my firstborn, if she weren't about to turn 49, for a massive hot pastrami sandwich on good rye with brown mustard and a Kosher half-dill pickle.

I would probably eat good pastrami on peach pie. Trouble is, so many alleged delis have listened to the health nuts and gone to a leaner product. Friends, pastrami must have fat! I'm sure that's somewhere in the Talmud.

Excuse me, I'm going into delicatessen withdrawal and must lie down for a while.
 
My preference would be pastrami, but the choice between that and corned beef is not as important as the quality of the meat. I like it shot through with fat, and coarse-grained. Too fine a grain makes me wonder if the meat was pressed or otherwise processed.

Russian dressing is the real deal; Thousand Island is just a make-do substitute. Grilled pumpernickel.

On the side a Max's half dill from a nice fizzy jar (I hear they don't make 'em any more, and I don't yet know of a suitable substitute). Not a spear, a whole pickle. Slicing a pickle the long way is just wrong.

To drink, Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray.
 
Walkin' Jack said:
AHHH, the delicious, under rated, and under appreciated RUBEN sandwich. That is in the top 3 on my favorite sammich list. As far as my favorite ruben I just can't decide. I love 'em both. I will switch and have one one time and the other another time. Some places I get them just make them one way orf the other. Either way they are hard to beat.

The other two sammiches in my top 3 are the BLT on sour dough toast and the good ol' PB&J on white bread. I'd hate to have to choose just one.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with you PB & J as a top 3. The BLT not so much. One of my top 3 or 4 or 5 would be a fired eggs with hot ham and melted swiss cheese on a toasted onion bagel with salt, pepper, hot sauce and a dab of mustard.

Liverwurst with onion on rye with mustard is in the top 3...
BTW the extra chunk taken from the liverwurst roll..my dogs have to have some good food once in awhile!
 
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Wish central grocery had not been brought up. In Houston, amazingly enough, there is not a place to get one of any great fame--Jasons is a chain and they make a decent one--both meaths.
I had some great ones in Boston.
Blessings
 
Isn't it amazing how hard it is to find a good reuben, much less a good deli any more? That is an art that quickly disappearing in this area. BTW, corned beef for me.
 
Heck sometimes I even like those cheap cans of corned beef with the little roller key to open them... Put them on bread with some mayo or miracle whip... Mmmm.
 
Reubens were always made with corned beef where I came from.Not saying I wouldn't enjoy a "melt in your mouth" hot pastrami on rye right about now.
 
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