Roast beef is a
dish of
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
that is
roasted
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...
, generally served as the main dish of a meal. In the
Anglosphere
The Anglosphere is a group of English-speaking world, English-speaking nations that share historical and cultural ties with England, and which today maintain close political, diplomatic and military co-operation. While the nations included in d ...
, roast beef is one of the meats often served at
Sunday lunch or dinner.
Yorkshire pudding
Yorkshire pudding is a baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk or water. A common British side dish, it is a versatile food that can be served in numerous ways depending on its ingredients, size, and the accompanying compon ...
is a standard side dish. Sliced roast beef is also sold as a
cold cut
Lunch meats—also known as cold cuts, luncheon meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, sandwich meats, and deli meats—are precooked or cured meats that are sliced and served cold or hot. They are typically served in sandwiches or on ...
, and used as a
sandwich
A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...
filling. Leftover roast beef may be minced and made into
hash.
Roast beef is a characteristic
national dish of England and holds cultural meaning for the English dating back to the 1731 ballad "
The Roast Beef of Old England
"The Roast Beef of Old England" is an English patriotic ballad. It was written by Henry Fielding for his play '' The Grub-Street Opera'', which was first performed in 1731. The lyrics were added to over the next twenty years. The song increase ...
". The dish is so synonymous with England and its cooking methods from the 18th century that a French nickname for the English is "les Rosbifs".
History
Despite the song, roast beef was not generally eaten in medieval England: "no medieval feast featured ... roast beef, even in England".
Culinary arts
The
beef on weck sandwich is a tradition in
western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
dating back to the early 1800s. Roast beef is sometimes served with
horseradish
Horseradish (''Armoracia rusticana'', syn. ''Cochlearia armoracia'') is a perennial plant of the family Brassicaceae (which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, cabbage, and radish). It is a root vegetable, cultivated and used worldwide ...
or horseradish sauce. In Denmark, it is mostly used in open sandwiches, called''
smørrebrød.''
Roast beef sandwich
The roast beef sandwich commonly comprises bread, cold roast beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and
mustard
Mustard may refer to:
Food and plants
* Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment
* Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment
** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...
, although finding cheese,
horseradish
Horseradish (''Armoracia rusticana'', syn. ''Cochlearia armoracia'') is a perennial plant of the family Brassicaceae (which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, cabbage, and radish). It is a root vegetable, cultivated and used worldwide ...
, fresh/powdered
chili pepper
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...
, and
red onion
Red onions (also known as purple or blue onions in some mainland European countries, though not the UK) are cultivars of the onion (''Allium cepa''), and have purplish-red skin and white flesh tinged with red. They are most commonly used in co ...
would not be uncommon.
"MyRecipes.com"
The roast beef 3 way sandwich originated on the north shore of Massachusetts and was re-invented by the Greek community.
Gallery
File:Sunday roast - roast beef 1.jpg, Sunday roast
A Sunday roast or roast dinner is a traditional meal of British and Irish origin. Although it can be consumed throughout the week, it is traditionally consumed on Sunday. It consists of roasted meat, roasted potatoes and accompaniments ...
consisting of roast beef, roast potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire pudding
Yorkshire pudding is a baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk or water. A common British side dish, it is a versatile food that can be served in numerous ways depending on its ingredients, size, and the accompanying compon ...
File:Roast beef in Tulsa.jpg, Some prefer roast beef to be served "medium"
File:Roast beef, Iran.jpg, Roast beef sandwich
File:Roast beef 1.jpg, Roast beef
References
External links
*
*
{{English cuisine
American cuisine
Canadian cuisine
British cuisine
English beef dishes
Irish cuisine
Danish cuisine
Australian cuisine
New Zealand cuisine
South African cuisine
Christmas food
Beef
National dishes
American meat dishes
British beef dishes
Irish meat dishes