History

The North Shore roast beef sandwich (so named for the towns north of Boston) descends from Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere, which opened in 1951 and codified the form: a soft sesame-onion roll, thin-sliced top-round roast beef, BBQ sauce (Kelly's house recipe), and the option of mayo and American cheese. The 3-Way (with all three) became the well-known order. Pauli's in the North End brought the format into downtown Boston.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg top round or sirloin roast
  • For the rub: 2 tbsp coarse salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • For the BBQ sauce (Kelly's-style): 200ml ketchup
  • 80ml apple cider vinegar
  • 60ml Worcestershire sauce
  • 60g brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp molasses
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 6 sesame onion rolls (soft, slightly sweet; the Kelly's standard)
  • 6 slices American cheese (the orange single, not aged cheddar)
  • Mayonnaise (Hellmann's)
  • Sliced dill pickles (optional but traditional)
  • Neutral oil for searing

Method

  1. Take the roast out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Combine rub ingredients and coat the roast all over.
  2. Heat oven to 130C. Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy roasting pan and sear the roast on all sides until deep brown, 8 minutes.
  3. Roast at 130C for 60 to 75 minutes until a probe reads 50C in the centre for very rare; this is the proper North Shore temperature. Rest 30 minutes.
  4. Make the BBQ sauce: combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, simmer gently 10 minutes until thick.
  5. Chill the rested beef in the fridge until completely cold (the meat slices thinner cold). 1 hour minimum.
  6. Slice the cold beef paper-thin against the grain using a sharp slicing knife or a deli slicer. Aim for 1mm slices; this is non-negotiable for the proper sandwich texture.
  7. Warm the sliced beef briefly in a wide pan with a splash of beef stock and 2 tbsp of the BBQ sauce.
  8. Slice the rolls. Spread mayo on the top half. Pile a generous mound of warm sliced beef on the bottom.
  9. Top with a slice of American cheese (which melts from the heat of the beef), zigzag of BBQ sauce, and optional pickles. Close and serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. Cold beef slices thinner than warm beef; cooking, chilling completely, then slicing is the North Shore secret. A deli slicer makes the difference but a very sharp slicing knife and a steady hand also work.

Where to eat north shore roast beef sandwich

North Shore Roast Beef Sandwich in Boston

Pauli's ★ 4.5

$ Street foodNorth End

Pauli's on Salem Street has rolled lobster rolls and Italian subs in Boston's North End since 2014. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

TryLobster roll, hot or cold

TipOrder ahead online to skip the counter wait. The XL roll splits between two; the classic is the single.

Directions

James Hook & Co ★ 4.4

$ Street foodSeaport Fort Point

James Hook & Co on Atlantic Avenue has sold lobster rolls from the harbour wharf in Boston since 1925. Open mon-fri 10:00-19:00, sat-sun 10:00-18:00.

TryLobster roll on a butter-toasted bun

Tip$28 mayo-bound roll, $32 hot-butter roll. The seating outside the window overlooks the harbour; bring lunch on a sunny day.

Directions

Saltie Girl ★ 4.4

$$ $22-$48BrunchSeafood brunchBack Bay

Kathy Sidell's Saltie Girl on Dartmouth Street runs a seafood brunch in Boston's Back Bay since 2016. Order the lobster benedict with hollandaise on the side.

OrderLobster benedict with hollandaise on the side.

TipBrunch books two weeks out on Resy. Saturday at 11:00 is the walk-in seat at the bar.

Directions Book

Anna's Taqueria ★ 4.2

$$ TaqueriaBrooklineUntil Daily until 23:30

Anna's Taqueria on Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner Brookline has served super burritos until 23:30 in Boston since 1995. The Brookline post-bar default.

TrySuper burrito

TipThe 23:00 line is the bar-close rush. Super burrito at $11 splits between two.

Directions

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