The Pickled Toppings Your Roast Beef Sandwich Deserves

A roast beef sandwich is an iconic deli staple across the United States. Depending on the region in which it's made, it might come in a crusty loaf with a side of broth for dipping, in a soft bun drenched with gravy, or in toasted rye bread dressed with creamy horseradish sauce or whole grain mustard. From the cut of beef and how it's cooked to the kind of cheese that pairs best with it, everyone has a favorite way to enjoy this classic sandwich. Now, we propose another way to enhance it: adding pickled toppings that will cut through the richness of the meat and cheese, providing a crunchy, tangy, sweet, or spicy complement.

Pickles are beloved the world over — made with a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, steeped in vinegar and flavored with different herbs and spices or simply brined and allowed to ferment. While the word "pickle" might immediately conjure pickled cucumbers (whether classic dill spears or spiced and sweet bread-and-butter slices), there are many other kinds of pickled things which will elevate your roast beef sandwich to a whole new gourmet level.

Italian immigrants brought giardiniera to the Midwest, where the punchy condiment took on a life of its own. Originally created as a way to preserve garden vegetables for the winter months (giardiniera means "from the garden"), Chicagoans turned the mix of pickled cauliflower, carrot, celery, red peppers, and spices into a kind of relish, chopping the vegetables into smaller bits and adding a kick with hot pepperoncini, effectively creating what became known as Chicago-style giardiniera. Adding this favorite condiment to a roast beef sandwich turns it into a classic of the Windy City, known simply as an Italian beef sandwich. 

This sandwich is typically made with chuck roast, which has a beefier flavor and a good amount of marbling, cooked in broth until fork tender. It's shredded and tossed with chopped pepperoncini before pilling into a hoagie roll, alongside provolone cheese and a good dose of giardiniera. Making the relish yourself allows you to control the spices and heat, but you can also buy jars from brands like Marconi in mild, medium, or hot versions, which are convenient for keeping in the pantry at all times.

Pickled onions are some of the quickest, easiest pickles to make, and they add color and flavor to pretty much anything. Piling a spoonful onto a roast beef sandwich is truly a no-brainer, as the onions will get ready while you assemble the rest of the sandwich if you try quick-pickling them. Simply blanch your sliced onions quickly in hot water, drain them, then add salt and lime juice or vinegar and let them rest for a few minutes. This is how the classic topping for cochinita pibil is made in Mexico. If you have a bit more time, say, about three or four hours before you want to use them, try this sugar-free pickled red onion recipe.

You can use any onions you prefer: white, sweet yellow, or red, which are usually preferred for their more attractive color. Slice them as thin as you like depending on the amount of crunch you want — thicker if you want a toothsome feel or paper-thin if you're going for a lighter texture. You can even add chile flakes if you want your onions to have a bit of kick.

Sweet pickled peppers are always a welcome addition to any sandwich, and roast beef is not an exception. The best thing about these colorful wonders is the variety of flavors that they can add to your sandwich masterpiece. There are the traditional roasted bell peppers, sure, but you can also look for alternatives that go beyond the sweet and earthy classic. Think about how good a sandwich would be with medium rare roast beef, some creamy brie, and sweet peppers, like those adorable DeLallo Sweety Drops. And if you like a bit of heat with your sweet, try Peppadews or Mama Lil's Hungarian goathorn peppers which will add a bit of both. 

Pickled jalapeños and beef go together like peanut butter and jelly. The tangy heat of the crunchy chiles and the meaty flavor and texture of the beef balance each other wonderfully, blissfully dancing on your palate. When complemented by melty Swiss cheese and charred onions, pickled jalapeños will elevate your roast beef sandwich to new flavor heights. 

If you'd like to take it up another notch, reach for a can of Mexican chiles en escabeche. These are usually jalapeños or serranos, either whole, in slices, or strips (known in Spanish as rajas), which have been lightly fried in olive oil with onion and carrot slices, seasoned with salt, oregano, thyme, bay laurel leaves, black peppercorns, allspice, and sometimes cloves, then preserved in a vinegar and water solution. These are way more flavorful than plain pickled jalapeños, with the bonus that the pickled onion and carrots can also be added to your sandwich for extra flavor and crunch.

With everything Korean so en vogue these days, why not give a Korean twist to your roast beef sandwich with some kimchi! The umami-rich, spicy condiment also has an earthy, funky taste that will perfectly marry with your roast beef. The cool thing about kimchi is that it can be made with a wide variety of vegetables. Of course, cabbage is the most common, but kimchi can be made from cucumber, radish, daikon, green onions, and other ingredients such as Asian pear. Any of them will add a pleasant crunch and a tangy spiciness to your sandwich for a unique taste sensation.

The classic cabbage variety is widely available in most supermarkets, but kimchi is an easy and fun thing to make at home, which allows you to control how hot or garlicky you want it to be. A word of warning: when adding kimchi to your roast beef sandwich, be sure to drain it well so that it doesn't turn your lunch into a soggy mess.