“Liquid Moscow” and the Pork Belly Reuben That Left Guy Speechless
“I don’t think I’ve ever actually had a better sandwich.”
That’s not something Guy Fieri says lightly. But after biting into a house-cured pork belly reuben, he meant every word. This wasn’t your standard corned beef situation—this was a slow-cooked, spice-rubbed masterpiece that took the classic deli sandwich into entirely new territory.
The House-Cured Pork Belly
The foundation of this sandwich starts days before it ever hits the grill. The cure is a careful blend of dry ingredients: chili flake, black pepper, and fennel seed, all buzzed together. As the chef pointed out, “I think this is one of the biggest mistakes people use is not using really fresh spices.” That attention to quality makes the difference.
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The spice blend gets mixed with a 50-50 ratio of salt and brown sugar. The pork belly gets packed down into this cure, rubbed with garlic, fresh thyme, and a grating of nutmeg. Then it sits—a couple days of curing before a four-hour slow roast. The result? Rendered fat, tender meat, and all those subtle spice notes working together. If you’re a fan of creative pork preparations like the Korean Pork Tacos Guy has featured, this belly takes things in a completely different direction.
Russian Dressing Gets an Upgrade
Here’s where things got interesting. The Russian dressing started simply enough—mayonnaise, ketchup, whole grain mustard, a little egg, and chopped pickles. Salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar, a touch of Worcestershire. Standard stuff, until the final move.
“The last thing I do for my Russian dressing is I just stir in a little bit of bacon fat.”
Guy’s reaction after tasting it? “Oh dude, I don’t even know that it’s fair to call that Russian dressing. I mean you got to call that liquid Moscow or something.”
Building the Sandwich
Once the cured pork belly cools and gets sliced, the assembly comes together on dark rye bread. Russian dressing goes down first, then Swiss cheese, followed by thick slices of that house-cured belly. Fresh-ground pepper tops the sauerkraut before it joins the stack. The whole thing gets brushed with butter—”talk about the meany panini”—before hitting the press. A few minutes to crisp, then into the oven to finish.
The final product had Guy breaking down the layers: “You get the subtleties of the pork mixed with the really nice rub you put on it, slow cook it, render down the fat.” Much like the careful layering in dishes like Pasta al Forno with Meatballs, every component serves a purpose.
Tips from the Kitchen
Use fresh spices. The chef emphasized this as a common mistake home cooks make. Stale spices mean flat flavor.
The 50-50 cure ratio. Equal parts salt and sugar creates the right balance for curing pork belly—enough salt to preserve, enough sugar to balance.
Don’t skip the bacon fat. A small amount stirred into your Russian dressing adds richness that takes it from good to “liquid Moscow.”
Low and slow wins. Four hours of roasting renders the fat properly and develops those deep flavors.
This pork belly reuben proves that classic sandwiches don’t need reinventing—they just need someone willing to cure their own meat and stir bacon fat into their dressing. For more spots serving up memorable dishes Guy has discovered, check out our restaurant directory.