Thin-sliced rare roast beef piled on a kummelweck roll (a Kaiser-style roll topped with caraway seeds and pretzel salt), the top half dipped in beef au jus and served with horseradish.

Beef on weck is Buffalo's other native dish, with Schwabl's in West Seneca serving it since 1837. German immigrant bakers brought the kummelweck roll (kummel for caraway, weck for the Austrian-German word for roll) and the city built a sandwich around it. Charlie the Butcher in Williamsville and Eckl's in Orchard Park run the suburban canonical versions; Bar Bill in East Aurora is the day-trip favorite.

Where to eat Beef on weck in Buffalo

4 editor picks for Beef on weck in Buffalo, ranked by editorial score. All Buffalo signature dishes · Beef on weck across every city.

Make it at home

Serves 42 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs eye round of beef, top round, or sirloin
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 4 kummelweck rolls (or 4 Kaiser rolls plus caraway seeds and pretzel salt)
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coarse pretzel salt
  • 2 cups beef stock or jus
  • Prepared horseradish, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 250 F (120 C).
  2. Season the beef heavily with salt and pepper. Roast on a rack to internal 125 F (52 C) for medium-rare, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
  3. Rest the beef 15 minutes, then slice it as thinly as possible against the grain.
  4. If using plain Kaiser rolls, brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle with caraway seeds and pretzel salt. Bake 5 minutes at 400 F until set.
  5. Warm the beef stock in a small pan and reduce slightly.
  6. Pile sliced beef on the bottom of each roll. Dunk the cut side of the top roll in the warm jus until just damp.
  7. Close the sandwich and serve immediately with a small dish of prepared horseradish on the side.

Editor tip. The roll has to be the kummelweck. Without caraway seeds and pretzel salt on top, it's just a regular roast-beef sandwich.

Common allergens: Gluten, Mustard (in horseradish).