How Buffalo Does Beef

Since my longtime boyfriend is a native Buffalonian – or rather, suburban Buffalonian; he’s actually from a picturesque little town outside the city – I have made many a pilgrimage to our state’s far Northern reaches to see his family. And each time I use said visits as an excuse to indulge in that most famous homegrown specialty, and now ubiquitous bar menu occupant, the buffalo wing. But on my most recent trip I decided to forego my favorite bright orange poultry treat to try another regional wonder: beef on weck. It was a wise choice. Reportedly first concocted at a Buffalo saloon called The Delaware House in the early 1900s, the sandwich calls for a triumvirate of specific ingredients: thinly-sliced roast beef slices (preferably pink in the middle), fresh horseradish and the bun that would becomes its namesake, the kimmelweck, a soft roll coated in a dense layer of salt crystals and caraway seeds. Served with a dill pickle or three and the beef jus for extra dipping, it is a masterpiece of juicy, salty, meaty perfection. Locals mentioned Schwabls, Anderson’s and Charlie the Butcher as suitable destinations for a proper beef on weck (and I’m certain there are many more), but we went ahead and made our own. All in all, a roast beef sandwich revelation. FV