What is a `Weck,’ and why in the world would someone eat it? Weck is short for kimmelweck, a kaiser-like roll with pretzel salt and caraway seeds baked onto the top. They are soft and chewy on the inside and firm on the outside. It’s a roll created to perfectly hold a heaping pile of rare, juicy, thin-sliced roast beef moistened with au jus. A dollop of fresh, sinus-clearing horseradish is added to make a sandwich few ever forget.
Way older than the more famous Buffalo wings, a local pub owner looking for a simple way to feed his customers seized on salting a Kaiser roll like a pretzel, figuring the salt would make his patrons even thirstier. He split the roll, heaped on roast beef dipped in au jus, topped with horseradish, and Beef on Weck was born.
Beef on Weck – Roast Beef on Kimmelweck Rolls
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Baking pan
- Whisk
- Instant read thermometer (if making own roast beef)
Ingredients
- 3 cups Au jus sauce (store bought prepared or homemade simple au jus (recipe below)
- 2 lb Store bought roast beef, sliced thin or homemade (recipe below)
- 6 Kaiser rolls, split
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch, for glaze
- 1 tbsp Rock salt (same as used on pretzels) or another large coarse grained salt
- 1 tbsp Caraway seeds
- ¼ cup Prepared horseradish
Instructions
- Prepare Au Jus – In a medium saucepan, heat 3 cups prepared au jus over medium-low heat or make your own by bringing 3 cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk in 4 bullion cubes or 4 tsp beef bouillon concentrate until dissolved. Whisk in 1 tsp soy sauce, ¼ tsp garlic powder. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare Roast Beef – Buy rare to medium rare thin-sliced roast beef from the market or make your own by roasting 3-4 pounds beef roast (eye of round) in a 425°F (220°C) oven for under an hour. First rubbing meat all over with ¼ cup olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper and then roasting until an instant read thermometer registers 130°F (55°C), about 40 to 45 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes then slice 2 pounds super thin. Add sliced roast beef to the warm au jus.
- Prepare Cornstarch Glaze – Add ½ cup cold water and stir 1 tbsp cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and becomes translucent. Remove from and let cool.
- Prepare Rolls – Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Place Kaiser or hard rolls on a baking sheet, top-side up. Brush tops with cornstarch glaze and sprinkle with coarse salt and caraway seeds. Bake until rolls get crusty and the salt and caraway seeds begin to stick, a few minutes. Remove from oven and slice rolls in half.
- Assemble Sandwich – Divide au jus warmed beef on the roll bottoms. Spoon a little horseradish over the meat and cover with the seeded top. Serve warm.
