I really love a good cold roast beef sandwich. Give me a pile of deli-thin slices and some roasted garlic horseradish aioli, and I’m happy. But good deli roast beef can be hard to find, and even when it’s on sale, it isn’t cheap. So I decided to make my own and see if it was worth it.
I picked up an inside round roast for $13.06 CAD and ended up with 585 grams of sliced deli roast beef. The same amount from my grocery store’s deli would have cost $27.32 CAD at the advertised sale price. That’s $14.26 saved, or 52% less on the beef itself. I show the deli price and break down the math in the video, so you can see exactly how I got there.
The best part? I got some store bought deli roast beef so my friends and I could taste them side by side. We all preferred the homemade batch. And yes, I built myself a cold roast beef sandwich with it. That was the whole reason I wanted to make it in the first place.
Homemade Deli Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lean boneless beef roast, about 885 g (just under 2 lb). I used inside round because it was good value.
- Avocado oil enough for a light coat
- Coarse kosher salt
- Freshly ground coarse black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Herb rub optional
Instructions
- Season and dry-brine. Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Rub it with a light coat of avocado oil to help the dry rub stick. Season all sides with coarse kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Tuscan herb rub, if using. Apply all the seasonings together. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Set up the roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Set the beef on a wire rack in the roasting pan so hot air can circulate underneath and help it cook evenly.
- Roast to your preferred doneness. Start checking the thickest part after about 60 minutes. For whole-cut beef, Health Canada lists 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare, 160°F (71°C) for medium, and 170°F (77°C) for well done. Cook until the centre reaches at least 145°F (63°C). The temperature may rise another 7–10°F (4–6°C) as it rests, so keep that in mind when aiming for your preferred finish. The amount varies, so check with your thermometer. Health Canada’s safe cooking temperatures
- Rest and chill. Let the roast rest for about 15 minutes. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking and chill it overnight so it firms up for slicing. Public Health Agency of Canada food safety tips
- Slice deli-thin. Remove any butcher’s twine. While the roast is cold, slice it across the grain as thinly as you can with a meat slicer or a sharp knife.
Video
Notes
- Choosing the roast: Inside round was my budget pick. Another lean, boneless beef roast works too. A different size or shape will change the cooking time.
- Seasoning: The Tuscan herb rub is optional. If yours contains salt, go a little lighter on the kosher salt.
- For the thinnest slices: Slice the beef straight from the fridge. Cold roast beef is firmer and easier to cut evenly.
Was it worth making deli roast beef at home?
For me, absolutely. My inside round roast cost $13.06 CAD and gave me 585 grams of sliced roast beef. The same amount would have cost $27.32 CAD at my grocery store’s advertised deli sale price. That’s $14.26 saved, or 52% less on the beef itself. I show the deli price and walk through the math in the video so you can see exactly how I got there.
My friends and I tasted the homemade and store-bought beef side by side, and we all went back for the homemade. You can season it the way you like, roast it to your preferred doneness, and slice it as thin as you want once it’s chilled. For me, the payoff was piling it onto Dutch crunch bread with my roasted garlic horseradish aioli. That’s the cold roast beef sandwich I wanted from the start.
How do you build your favourite cold roast beef sandwich? Tell me what bread you use and the one topping you always reach for.
My Cold Roast Beef Sandwich Build
Come Hungry.
Marc