Red Wine Pickled Onion Roast Beef Sandwich with Horseradish
A gourmet sandwich featuring tender roast beef layered with tangy red wine pickled onions and peppery arugula, all brought together with a bold horseradish Dijon spread. The pickled onions require a week of marinating in a complex spiced brine with fish sauce and aromatic spices like juniper berries and fennel seed, creating deep, nuanced flavors. Perfect for entertaining or your lunch game, this sandwich balances rich, savory meat with bright acidic notes and creamy, spicy condiments on toasted potato bread.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- ½ teaspoon juniper berries
- 2 whole cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ tablespoon coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 dried chile
- 4 cups onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ cup horseradish, prepared
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 potato bread rollsbrioche buns1:1rich
adds richness
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ cup red wine pickled onions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces horseradish dijon
- 2 ¾ pounds roast beef
Instructions
- 1
In a pot over medium-high heat, combine vinegar, wine, sugar, and fish sauce with water and bring to a boil
- 2
Toast marjoram, juniper berries, cloves, allspice, fennel seed, and coriander
- 3
Pulverize spice mixture in a spice grinder, then add to liquid mixture
- 4
Add bay leaf and chile to liquid, then remove pot from heat
- 5
Place onions in an airtight container and top with pickling liquid
- 6
Cover with lid, refrigerate, and allow to sit for at least one week
- 7
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and mix well
- 8
Toast rolls whole in oven or toaster oven, then cut in half
- 9
Combine arugula, pickled onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl
- 10
Spread horseradish dijon on both halves of rolls
- 11
Layer roast beef and arugula mixture to assemble sandwich
Tips
Start pickling onions a full week before serving to allow flavors to develop properly and achieve the right tangy depth.
Toast the whole spices before grinding to intensify their aromatics and create a more complex pickling brine.
Toast the potato rolls whole before cutting to maintain structure and prevent the bread from becoming soggy when assembled.
Good to Know
Assembled sandwiches best eaten immediately. Pickled onions keep refrigerated for up to 1 month. Horseradish spread keeps 3-4 days refrigerated.
Pickle onions 1 week in advance. Make horseradish spread up to 2 days ahead. Toast bread and assemble just before serving.
Serve immediately after assembly while bread is still warm and crisp.
Common Mistakes
Don't skip toasting the spices as raw spices will create a flat, one-dimensional pickling liquid.
Avoid assembling sandwiches too far ahead as the bread will become soggy from the moist ingredients.
Substitutions
FAQ
Can I use a different type of vinegar for pickling?
Yes, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar work well, though they'll create slightly different flavor profiles than the red wine vinegar.
What if I don't have juniper berries?
You can substitute with extra fennel seed or a small amount of gin, though the flavor will be different from the original recipe.
How long do the assembled sandwiches keep?
Assembled sandwiches should be eaten immediately as the bread becomes soggy quickly from the moist ingredients and sauces.