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Beef on Weck

Slow-roasted beef, a salty caraway-topped kummelweck roll, and sharp horseradish — Buffalo’s iconic sandwich.

⏱ 15 minPrep time
🔥 90 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 LunchCategory
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Beef on Weck — slow-roasted beef on a salty caraway kummelweck roll with horseradish

The beef on weck is Buffalo’s proudest sandwich: shaved roast beef piled high on a kummelweck roll — a crusty bun topped with coarse salt and caraway seeds — with a sharp hit of horseradish and a dip of beef jus. It was invented at Schwabl’s in Buffalo in the 1920s, and it’s been a Western New York institution ever since.

Chef Emily presents Beef on Weck

Buffalo’s iconic roast beef sandwich

Tender slow-roasted beef, a salty caraway roll, and sinus-clearing horseradish — simple, savory, and unmistakably Buffalo.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Season the roast generously with salt and pepper and place it in a roasting pan with 1 cup of the beef broth. Cover and roast until fork-tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Rest 15 minutes, then slice very thin against the grain.
  2. While the beef rests, mix the coarse salt and caraway seeds in a small bowl and sprinkle generously over the cut sides of the rolls.
  3. Warm the remaining broth in a saucepan for jus, and toast the rolls cut-side up under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the topping is fragrant.
  4. Dip each toasted roll quickly into the jus, pile high with sliced roast beef, and add a generous swipe of horseradish.
  5. Serve immediately with extra jus and horseradish on the side.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Serve the jus in a small cup for dipping and pass extra horseradish at the table. For the authentic crunch, toast the cut side of the roll just until the salt and caraway are fragrant.

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Recipe details

Prep15 min
Cook90 min
Servings4
CategoryLunch
PublishedAugust 16, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →