Owyhee Reuben Recipe

Toast seeds

Place a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow mustard seeds, brown mustard seeds, and crushed fennel seeds. Toast, shaking the pan frequently, until fragrant and the mustard seeds begin to pop, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool 1 minute.

Grind or crush: Once slightly cooled, pulse the toasted seeds briefly in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely broken — you want some whole seeds for texture, not a fine powder.

Combine mustard: In a small bowl, whisk together the ground toasted seeds with the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if you prefer a looser spreadable consistency. Taste and adjust salt, honey or vinegar to balance heat and acidity. Set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to let flavors marry (can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated).

Prepare sauerkraut: If sauerkraut is very wet, drain in a fine mesh sieve and press lightly with the back of a spoon or paper towel until no large pools of liquid remain. If you prefer a milder, warmed kraut, place the drained sauerkraut in a small skillet over low heat with 1 teaspoon butter and warm for 2–3 minutes, stirring; drain again and set aside.

Prepare bread: Butter one side of each bread slice (softened butter). The buttered sides will be the exterior for grilling.

Build sandwiches: On the unbuttered side of four bread slices, spread about 1 heaping teaspoon (or to taste) of the toasted fennel mustard evenly. Divide the sliced Wagyu brisket evenly among the four sandwiches (about 4 ounces brisket per sandwich if using 1 lb total). Top the meat with about 3–4 tablespoons warmed (or drained) sauerkraut per sandwich, pressing gently to compact. Lay two slices of Swiss cheese over the sauerkraut (adjust to preference). Close each sandwich with the remaining bread slice, buttered side out.

Grill and melt cheese: Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat. Place sandwiches in the skillet and cook until the bottom is golden brown, 3–4 minutes. To thoroughly melt the Swiss without burning the bread, cover the pan with a lid for 1–2 minutes after flipping, or place a heavy pan on top (weight) to press the sandwich. Flip and continue cooking until the second side is golden and cheese is fully melted, another 3–4 minutes. If using an electric griddle or sandwich press, cook until golden and evenly toasted and cheese is melted.

Rest and slice: Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute. Slice each sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve immediately with pickles on the side.