North Shore Three Way roast beef sandwich on homemade onion rolls

Take the eye of round out of the package and dry it with paper towels.

Trim off the extra fat with a sharp knife, taking as little meat as possible, and remove the silver skin, which will not melt and makes bites chewy.

Rub with a little beef tallow, then season aggressively with kosher salt and pepper and a little garlic powder.

Tie with string, going round two or three times before knotting so it holds, so the thin end cooks evenly.

Roast at 275, about an hour and a quarter to two and a half hours, until 123 to 126 inside; it rises another five to seven degrees to medium rare.

Pull at about 125. No sear needed since it is sliced thin.

Cool about half an hour, wrap well and refrigerate overnight; slice cold.

Stir the dry active yeast and sugar into three-quarters of a cup of warm water at 110 to 120 degrees; leave five minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead: start again.

On the mixer, add the oil, the roughly beaten egg and the salt, then add the flour a little at a time.

Mix about five minutes to a semi-sticky, slightly tacky ball of dough.

Put in a bowl, cover with a towel and rise in a semi-warm spot about an hour and a half.

Punch down, turn out onto a little flour, shape into a round, cut in half and each half into fours.

Fold the edges of each piece under into a ball, pinch the bottom and roll; set on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pat down so they are not too domed.

Cover and rise another 20 to 30 minutes.

Mix the finely diced onion with a little oil and about a tablespoon of poppy seeds for the topping.

Beat an egg with a tablespoon of water and brush lightly over the rolls, sides too; top with the onion mixture and press down gently.

Bake at 375 for 18 to 22 minutes.

Unwrap the cold beef, dry it, remove the strings and slice very thin on a meat slicer.

Warm a pan slightly, add a big pile of the sliced beef and a little beef broth for 30 seconds, then take off the heat.

Split a roll. On the bottom: a slice of white American cheese, the warmed roast beef piled high, then room-temperature James River barbecue sauce. Mayo on the top bun.