Recipe

Roast Beef and Fermented Beet “Borscht” Sandwiches

by Sasha Marx

Beets feature heavily in the cuisines of Eastern Europe and Russia, but one beet dish that enjoys worldwide acclaim is borscht. I wanted to take the elements of a good bowl of borscht—beets, beef, cultured dairy, and dill—and turn them into a hearty sandwich. Because honestly, sandwiches are the best. I start by spreading a rich yogurt and horseradish sauce on a soft kaiser roll. I then layer our tangy, crispy fermented beets and thin slices of rosy roast beef on top. Finally, I crown the beets and beef with a healthy handful of fresh dill. This sandwich is a great crossover between the flavors of borscht and a classic roast beef sandwich. Maybe I should call it “beets on weck.” (Our sister publication, Cook’s Country, has a great recipe for Beef on Weck. The recipe is free until April 16, 2017.)

Photography by Steve Klise 

Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
115 g Greek yogurt
50 g mayonnaise
20 g finely grated fresh horseradish
  Kosher salt and pepper
360 g roast beef, sliced thin
60 g beet kvass
200 g fermented beets, cut into ¼-inch strips
soft kaiser rolls, halved horizontally
20 g fresh dill, chopped into 1-inch sprigs
½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish
  Kosher salt and pepper
13 ounces roast beef, sliced thin
¼ cup beet kvass
2 cups fermented beets, cut into ¼-inch strips
4  soft kaiser rolls, halved horizontally
1⅓ cups fresh dill, chopped into 1-inch sprigs
Essential Equipment
Instructions
    • 115 g Greek yogurt 
    • 50 g mayonnaise 
    • 20 g finely grated fresh horseradish 
    • Kosher salt and pepper 
    • 360 g thinly sliced roast beef 
    • 60 g beet kvass 
    • 200 g fermented beets, cut into ¼-inch strips 
    Stir yogurt, mayonnaise, horseradish, and 1.5 grams salt together in small bowl; set aside. Toss beef and kvass together in medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. In third bowl, season beets with salt and pepper to taste.  
    • 4 soft kaiser rolls, halved horizontally 
    • 20 g fresh dill, chopped into 1-inch sprigs
    For each sandwich, spread top and bottom of kaiser roll with horseradish sauce. Place 3 slices roast beef on bottom of roll and top with 2 tablespoons beets. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with 5 grams dill. Serve, passing extra horseradish sauce for dipping. 
Instructions
    • ½ cup Greek yogurt 
    • ¼ cup mayonnaise 
    • 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish 
    • Kosher salt and pepper 
    • 13 ounces thinly sliced roast beef 
    • ¼ cup beet kvass 
    • 2 cups fermented beets, cut into ¼-inch strips 
    Stir yogurt, mayonnaise, horseradish, and ½ teaspoon salt together in small bowl; set aside. Toss beef and kvass together in medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. In third bowl, season beets with salt and pepper to taste.  
    • 4 soft kaiser rolls, halved horizontally 
    • 1⅓ cups fresh dill, chopped into 1-inch sprigs
    For each sandwich, spread top and bottom of kaiser roll with horseradish sauce. Place 3 slices roast beef on bottom of roll and top with 2 tablespoons beets. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with ⅓ cup dill. Serve, passing extra horseradish sauce for dipping. 
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