- 4
Ingredients
- Sandwiches:
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 13 ounces roast beef, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup beet kvass
- 2 cups fermented beets, cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 4 soft kaiser rolls, halved horizontally
- 1 1/3 cups fresh dill, chopped into 1-inch sprigs
- Fermented Beets and Beet Kvass:
- 1 pound red beets (2 large beets), rinsed and peeled
- 5 cups water
- 7 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Preparation
Step 1
For Sandwiches:
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.
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.
Fermented Beets and Beet Kvass:
Cook's Note: To prevent spoilage and the growth of bad bacteria, cleanliness is key when working with fermented foods. Thoroughly wash your food, work surface, containers, and hands before embarking on a fermentation project to reduce the possibility of contamination. I recommend wearing disposable gloves if you have them.
Using mandoline, slice beets 1/16-inch thick. Whisk water and salt in clean 3-quart (or larger) container until salt is dissolved. Transfer 2 cups brine to 1-quart zipper-lock bag; squeeze out air and seal bag well. Add beets to remaining brine in 3-quart container and press down to submerge. Cut piece of parchment paper to match surface area of beets; press parchment flush against surface of beets. Place bag of brine on top of parchment and gently press down. Cover container tightly with 3 layers of cheesecloth. Secure cheesecloth in place with rubber bands and place container in 50 to 70 degree F/10 to 21 degree C location away from direct sunlight.
Let beets ferment for 7 days; check container daily, skimming residue from surface and pressing to keep beets submerged. After 7 days, taste beets daily until they have reached desired flavor. They should be sweet, sour, and crisp.
Discard bag of brine and parchment and skim off any residue. Drain beets, reserving pickling liquid (kvass). Serve. (Leftover beets and kvass can be combined in clean airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 month; once refrigerated, flavor of beets will continue to mature.)