A traditional beef on weck sandwich |
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Alternative name(s) | Beef on wick |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Western New York |
| Dish details | |
| Course served | Main |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredient(s) | Kummelweck roll Thinly sliced roast beef Prepared horseradish au jus |
A beef on weck sandwich is a variety of steak sandwich found primarily in Western New York.[1][2][3] It is made with roast beef on a kummelweck roll. The meat on the sandwich is traditionally served rare, thin cut, with the top bun getting a dip au jus. Accompaniments include horseradish, a dill pickle spear, and french fries.
The kummelweck roll gives the sandwich its name and a distinctive taste. A kummelweck (sometimes pronounced "kimmelweck" or "kümmelweck") is topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds. Kümmel is the German word for caraway, and weck means "roll" in the south-western German dialects of the Baden and Swabia areas (northern Germans generally say Brötchen).[2] The sandwich has been introduced to new areas of the United States with population movement. In Austria a similar type of small white-bread is known as Kümmelweckerl (diminutive from Wecken, which refers to a whole big bread, i.e. Brotwecken).
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The origin and history of the beef on weck sandwich is not well established.[3] It is believed that a German baker named William Wahr, who is thought to have emigrated from the Black Forest region of Germany, created the kummelweck roll while living in Buffalo, New York.[3] A local pub owner is said to have used the roll to create the beef on weck, with the thought that the salty top of the roll would make his patrons purchase more drinks.[4][5]
A typical beef on weck sandwich is made from slow-roasted rare roast beef that is hand carved in thin slices to provide about ½-inch (about 1.3cm) of meat on the bottom half of the roll. The cut face of the top half of the roll may be dipped in the jus from the roast. Prepared horseradish is usually provided for the diner to spread on the top half of the roll to taste. The traditional side dishes for a beef on weck are french fries and a kosher dill pickle spear.
The beef on weck has long been popular regionally, and has gained a following in other areas of the United States where it has been introduced.[4] Expatriates from Western New York have taken the dish and brought it to other areas after relocating.[4] It has also been featured by chefs on cooking shows including the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like. Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, Anthony Bourdain and other chefs have featured the beef on weck sandwich, or a variant, on their television programs.[6]
The American restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings was started by former residents of the Western New York area and the original name of the restaurant was "Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck" or as "BW3", the third W referring to weck. The chain no longer serves weck outside of the Western New York area and no longer uses the original name, but the company still uses the extra "W" in its abbreviation.