History

Brennan & Carr has run in Sheepshead Bay since 1938 and serves a plain roll filled with thinly sliced roast beef dipped in the roasting juices, under a sign reading Hot Beef Sandwiches. Southern Brooklyn's roast beef dip is a distinct local phenomenon, and Roll n' Roaster serves essentially the same sandwich in a fast-food setting. Roll N Roaster, open since the early 1970s, serves it on kaiser rolls, with a dip in the meat juices for a small extra charge. The sandwich resembles the French dip of Los Angeles, whose Philippe's is about 30 years older than Brennan & Carr, so how the Brooklyn version began is unsettled.

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Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 8Hands-on 20 minTotal 8 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck or rump roast
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 can (10.5 ounces) low-sodium condensed beef broth
  • 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed French onion soup
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 12 ounces light beer, or extra broth
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 sprig rosemary (optional)
  • 8 French rolls or kaiser rolls
  • 1/2 cup butter

Method

  1. Season the roast with the salt and pepper and brown each side in a large pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Put the beef broth, onion soup, onion, beer, garlic, rosemary and Worcestershire in a slow cooker and add the roast.
  3. Cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours until the beef is tender.
  4. Lift out the roast, rest it 15 minutes, then slice or shred it thinly.
  5. Butter the rolls and toast them under the broiler.
  6. Pile the beef on the rolls and serve with the jus from the slow cooker for dipping.

Tip from the editors. Slice the beef thin and put it back in the hot jus; the wet roll is the point of the sandwich.

Where to eat sheepshead bay roast beef sandwich

Sheepshead Bay roast beef sandwich in Brooklyn

Brennan & Carr ★ 4.2

$ SandwichSheepshead Bay

Brennan & Carr is a roast beef restaurant on Nostrand Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, serving hot beef sandwiches since 1938 and taking cash only.

OrderThe roast beef sandwich or the Gargiulo burger, both under $10 on the operator's posted menu.

Why locals goA squat wood-and-brick building on its own triangle of Nostrand Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, dipping roast beef in broth, cash only.

TipAsk for the sandwich double dipped on both halves of the bread, or KFJ, a knife-and-fork job with an extra ladle of broth over everything.

Directions

Roll-n-Roaster ★ 3.8

$ SandwichSheepshead BayUntil Mon-Thu 01:00, Fri-Sat 02:00

Roll-n-Roaster is a roast beef sandwich shop on Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, open until 01:00 Monday to Thursday and 02:00 Friday and Saturday.

TryRoast beef sandwich

TipThe roast beef comes medium or well done, and the meat juices are there for dipping at a small extra charge. The sandwich is $8.95.

Directions

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