How To Make A Cannabis-Infused Reuben Sandwich

Sometimes, the only thing that can appease your appetite is an easy-peasy classic. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything as quintessential as a good old-fashioned sandwich: it’s been around for centuries, ever since the eponymous Earl of Sandwich got the idea to stick meat in between two pieces of bread that he, a notorious card-player, could eat and gamble at the same time. Furthermore, if we’re going to split hairs over which sandwiches thoroughly deserve to be called heavy-hitters, the Reuben sandwich definitely takes the cake. (Or, you know…the bread loaf.) So what could be better for us midnight tokers than a cannabis-infused Reuben sandwich?

While no one can quite pinpoint the origin of the Reuben—some say it was magicked into existence by New York food legend Bernard Schimmel at the turn of the century, others contend it was created by Omaha resident Arnold Reuben, and still some claim it was frantically put together by an out-of-work actress in a fit of hunger—does it really matter? The Reuben sandwich is a bonafide beaut. And if you’re a stoner craving a sammie—and let’s face it, who among us hasn’t—here’s our official recipe for how to make a cannabis-infused Reuben sandwich.

Ingredients

For Your Reuben Sandwich:

• 2 slices of bread—and if you’re purists like us, it better be rye bread; none of that Wonderbread stuff in these parts
• 1/3 lbs. of sliced corn beef (if you’re going old-school, do it right: get some kosher corned beef if available)
• sauerkraut, to taste
• 1-2 slices of Swiss cheese, depending on how cheesy you like your sammie
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted—not all of this will go onto your sandwich, but it’s always nice to have something left over.

For Your Russian Dressing:

(Note: this recipe for Russian dressing is for a big batch; nothing wrong with having some dressing for a salad or a sandwich, right?)

• 3/4 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons chopped curly parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced Spanish onion
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced dill pickle
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon grated horseradish

Directions

We’re basing our particular Reuben recipe off of the gourmet proferrings of Zingerman’s Deli, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. You can find their weedless recipe here. For our cannabis-infused concoction, please read below.

1. Wash Your Hands

Seriously. Wash your damn hands. We don’t have to tell you why.

2. Decarb Your Bud

If you’re not familiar with decarbing your weed—or decarboxylation, the process of activating THC in cannabis—the following will give you the know-how to do so.  For this Reuben recipe, cannabis-infused butter is your best friend. You can check out our recipe on how to make cannabutter here. If you’re too lazy to click on the link, here’s a quick recap below.

First, preheat your oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. After that, pick the seeds and stems out of your flower and break the bud into smaller pieces. Place these on a baking sheet, and cook your weed for roughly 30-40 minutes, all the while making sure to move it around every now and again for an even roast. At this point, your bud should be a light-to-medium brown. Remove your oven and let your toasted cannabis cool for a bit, then place it in a food processor—you knew that Magic Bullet would come in handy some day!—and grind it until it has retained a coarse consistency. When you’re done, store it in an airtight container.

Take your butter and heat it up at a low temperature in a saucepan. Throw in your coarse cannabis and stir frequently for 1—1 1/2 hours. Remember, don’t let it get too hot, otherwise the weed infusion won’t take. After the allotted amount of time, strain the cannabutter into a container with—you guessed it—a metal strainer. Place it in a fridge to let it cool and/or reach the consistency of your average bar of butter that we know and love.

3. Make Your Dressing

This step is as easy as, well, making a sandwich. Throw all of the dressing ingredients listed above into a bowl and mix it up. Set it aside. Don’t worry, it’ll be there for you later.

4. Steam Your Meat

Nope, this isn’t a euphemism. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle your corned beef with a bit of water, wrap it snuggly in some aluminum foil, and steam it for up to 10 minutes. Take it out and let it cool.

5. Toast Your Bread

Spread both slices of rye with cannabutter and throw them into the frying pan, weighing them with a hreavy surface like a saucepan lid. Cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes, and then flip it over. Place your Swiss cheese slices onto the pieces of good, good rye bread and let them melt. Set it aside after it reaches that sweet stringy perfection.

6. Sandwich Assembly Required

Now that you have all the necessary accouterments, build your sandwich. You know the drill: cheesed-up bread, meat, sauerkraut, dressing, and whatever other toppings your beautiful heart desires. And there you have it: how to make a cannabis-infused Reuben sandwich.

Final Hit: How To Make A Cannabis-Infused Reuben Sandwich

So there you have it: a go-to recipe for the perfect pot Reuben. Now that you know how to make a cannabis-infused Reuben sandwich, get on to it, you gourmandizer, you. And remember: this recipe does contain weed, so we advise against eating more than one sammie at a time. Either way, happy eating!