Reuben Wraps
Dehydrated corned beef and kraut, rehydrated in a pot and rolled into a tortilla.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 104
- protein
- 30 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- 250 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Basecamp
- One pot
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Sliced corned beef | 8 oz | deli or Trader Joe's packaged, dehydrated at home |
|---|---|---|
| Sauerkraut | 3/4 cup | drained before drying |
| Babybel Swiss rounds | 3 to 4 | wax coating keeps them stable for days |
| Thousand Island dressing | 1.5 oz packet | |
| Flour tortillas | 2, 8 inch | rye bagels or rye bread if you can protect them |
Method
- Dice the corned beef small and lay it on a mesh dehydrator tray. Spread the drained kraut on a solid liner tray.
- Dry both until they are brittle with no soft spots. Pack them together in one freezer bag.
- In camp, tip the bag into your pot and add about 250 ml of water, enough to nearly cover but not float the top layer.
- Bring it to a boil, cut the heat, and put the lid on. Wait ten minutes, stirring once, until the beef gives up and goes tender.
- Quarter the cheese into the hot pot and stir until it melts through.
- Spoon it onto the tortillas, squeeze the dressing over, and roll.
Corned beef and sauerkraut both hold a lot of water, which is why this needs a home dehydrator and not a shopping trip. Once they are dry they weigh almost nothing and rehydrate together in the same pot, since the kraut brine flavors the beef as it softens. Ten minutes off the heat under a lid does the work that would otherwise cost you fuel.
The cheese is the only piece that has not been dried, and Babybel is the reason this works without a cooler. The wax shell holds up for several days in a pack. Add it after the boil so it melts into the mixture instead of scorching on the pot bottom, and keep the dressing cold-side until the end so it does not break in the heat.
Packing
Beef and kraut share one bag since they rehydrate together anyway. Cheese and the dressing packet ride in a side pocket. Tortillas go flat against your back panel or they come out as a bag of shards.
Variations
- A packet of shelf-stable bacon crumbled in at the melt step.
- Swap the dressing for a mustard packet and a squeeze of mayo if Thousand Island is not around.
- Rye crackers instead of tortillas if you want to skip the wrap entirely.
https://thehikingtreeblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/gourmet-trail-recipes-reuben-sandwich-wraps