If you are from Western New York I’m about to make you hungry for something you may have enjoyed as much as we have. And it’s not what you’re probably thinking.
In 2021 I surprised Tom by taking him to the Finger Lakes for his birthday. He was born and raised in Buffalo and Rochester. This was one of those trips where Tom shared his childhood with me. We visited his old schools and local breweries We explored state parks, toured the Corning Museum and even fished in the deep waters of Cuyuga Lake.
It was here that he introduced me to Beef on a Weck. We went to a beautiful brewery overlooking Seneca Lake. The only item on the menu was Beef on a Weck. Tom was excited to share this with me.
Beef on a Weck is an amazing sandwich invented in the Buffalo area, like their more famous Buffalo Wings. Being a Florida girl I had only ever had Arby’s or Roy Roger’s for my take on roast beef sandwiches. (I know, I’m rolling my eyes too!) And I wasn’t a fan.
But this sandwich is the kind you crave once you’ve had a really good one. I learned it has been a staple in this region for over 100 years. Weck is short for Kummelweck rolls. Kümmel is German for caraway seeds. The rolls are Kaiser rolls sprinkled with coarse salt and caraway seeds, thus the name.
Beef on a Weck was the creation of an unnamed German baker working at John Gohn’s Delaware House.
The Pan-American Exposition was being held in Buffalo in 1901, and The Delaware House was right where those attending would get off the trolley. His idea was that this sandwich would make their hungry customers come in to eat and then thirsty for lots of beer. It worked and a tradition was born.
What is a Beef on Weck Sandwich? It is a roast beef sandwich on a salty kummelweck roll. In fact, it is this roll that makes the sandwich unique. Made only in the Buffalo-Rochester area, the kummelweck – often alternatively spelled kimmelweck – is basically a Kaiser roll topped with lots of pretzel salt and caraway seeds. Kummelweck is simply shortened to “weck.” The sandwich is usually served with sinus-clearing horseradish (you can tell a native Buffalonian by the amount of horseradish he or she used), a couple of huge kosher dill pickle slices on the side, and extra beef juice served straight from the roast. Wash it all down with a cold, locally brewed ale.
From What’s Cooking America
Beef on Weck Sandwich Recipe:
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 50 mins
Total Time: 1hr 5 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 sandwiches
Author: What’s Cooking America
INGREDIENTS
Beef on Weck:
- 1 (3 to 4-pound) beef roast (tenderloin, Prime Rib, or eye of round)
- 1/4 cup olive oil, extra-virgin
- Coarse salt and coarsely-ground black pepper
- 8 Kaiser rolls*
- 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt**
- Horseradish, prepared
Cornstarch Glaze:
- 1/2 cup water, cold
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Beef on Weck Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Rub roast with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place roast on rack in a shallow baking pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the roast.
- Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until thermometer registers 130 to 135 degrees F. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving. Reserve meat juice, and carve meat into very thin slices (as thin as you can slice).
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Brush the prepared Cornstarch Glaze on the top of each Kaiser roll; sprinkle equal amounts of caraway seeds and heat in the oven for 3 minutes or until tops of the rolls get crusty and the caraway seeds and salt begin to stick. Remove from oven and cut each roll in half.
- To assemble sandwiches, divide sliced beef on the bottom half of each roll, spoon with reserved beef juice, and top with the top half of each roll. Serve with horseradish on the side.
- Makes 8 sandwiches.
Tom made these for me using Boar’s Head sliced roast beef and a au jus made with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. He heated the beef in the au jus then put them dripping in the roll. He added the horseradish on the roll which we both like lots of it.
We re-created a special memory from our trip in 2021. Food does that—storing savory memories to be recalled with one bite.
What food brings back special memories to you?
The Romantic Vineyard 