Roast Beef Sandwich
Ingredients
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- 1 1/2 pounds beef top round roast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 rolls sandwich rolls
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 8 slices tomato
- 8 slices red onion
- 8 slices dill pickles
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Set a rack in the center and line a small roasting pan with foil. Pat the beef dry and rub all over with the olive oil.
2. Season the roast on all sides with 2 tsp kosher salt, 1.5 tsp black pepper, the garlic powder, and dried thyme.
3. Roast at 450°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 325°F (165°C) and continue roasting 25–40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare (the center should feel springy and a thermometer should read 125°F).
4. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 20 minutes, then chill 20–30 minutes for cleaner slicing.
5. While the beef rests, make the horseradish sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and the remaining 0.25 tsp kosher salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Set aside.
6. Prepare the sandwich fixings: Rinse and pat dry the romaine leaves, then shred them. Slice the tomato and red onion into 8 slices each if not already sliced. Split the sandwich rolls.
7. Thinly slice the rested beef against the grain.
8. Toast the rolls: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the rolls cut-side down and toast until golden, 1–2 minutes.
9. Assemble each sandwich: Spread horseradish sauce on both cut sides of a roll (about 2–3 tbsp total). Pile about 4 oz sliced beef on the bottom half. Add shredded romaine, 2 tomato slices, 2 red onion slices, and 2 dill pickle slices. Cap with the top roll, press gently, and serve immediately.
A roast beef sandwich layers thinly sliced, rosy roast beef with a cool, creamy, peppery bite from horseradish, all tucked into a toasted roll that stays crisp outside and tender within. The interplay of savory beef, tangy sauce, and fresh crunch from lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles makes it satisfying without being heavy. It’s an everyday deli staple that adapts well to personal taste while keeping a straightforward, beef-forward character.
The sandwich grew out of Anglo-American traditions of roasted beef served with horseradish, migrating into U.S. delicatessens and lunch counters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It became a convenient way to enjoy leftover roasts, later evolving alongside the rise of sliced deli meats. Regional takes emerged—New England’s sesame-seed bun with horseradish-mayo and barbecue sauce, and the hot, dipped French-inspired offshoots—yet the core cold (or room-temperature) sandwich with horseradish cream on a roll remains the broadest, most recognizable form.