Italian-Style Beef Sandwiches

Italian Style Beef SandwichesI grew up on French Dip sandwiches. Not that we ate them every day, but I knew what they were, and I loved them! I always asked for extra juice (au jus means “with juice”) for dipping.

So imagine my joy when I got to Illinois for the first time and was introduced to Italian Beef sandwiches! Oh. My. DOG!!! Absolutely amazing!

It was a French Dip with an Italian twist or two thrown in. Or three. Maybe four. I’m not sure. I lose count. Anyhoo… Roast the beef with Italian spices. Make a LOT of juice. Not gravy – nothing that thick. Just juice. Thin, and flavorful, and ready to soak into the meat and the bun! Slice it thin. Really thin. Almost transparent thin. Soak the slices in the juice. Add them to the bun. Put some toppings on it (peppers or Pepperoncini). And then, some places will dip the entire sandwich in the juice for you! Yes, please!! Twice if you don’t mind.

Are you hungry yet? Bet you can’t wait to get started on having fun with this one. So, let’s go!

Italian Style Beef SandwichesIngredients:

2 medium white onions
6-8 garlic cloves
2 cups red wine
2-3 cans beef broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 jar Pepperoncini Peppers
1 whole beef roast – 3.5 to 4.5 pounds

To serve:

Haogie rolls or other good rolls/bread
Mozzarella or Provolone cheese slices (optional)
Giardiniera (optional)

Instructions:

Turn slow cooker to high.

Thinly slice onions and place in slow cooker. Slice them very thin. You want them to fall apart during cooking.

Mash garlic cloves with knife to break skin. Peel away outer skin, then finely chop. Add to onions.

Add wine, broth, oregano and thyme. Add half the jar of Pepperoncinis and half the juice. Stir to combine. Let everything get to know each other and get happy for a few minutes.

Add roast to slow cooker. Cover and cook for one hour on high. Turn to low and continue to cook for at least 8 more hours.

When roast is done and ready to fall apart, remove roast to large bowl. Use slotted spoon to capture any pieces that have fallen apart already.

Italian Style Beef SandwichesUsing two forks, shred beef. If you’re picky, or serving picky people, you can pick out some of the fatty stuff and toss it. Most guys won’t worry about it, but if you’re serving ladies, you might want to take minute to do this – at least any larger pieces. I’m just sayin’…

Remove about half the juice from the slow cooker to a small pot. It helps to strain as you go, so you don’t end up with any beef bits in the juice. (You’ll use this juice for dipping.)

Return shredded beef to slow cooker and let it soak up some juice.

Split rolls and toast, if desired. Toasting isn’t traditional, but I know a lot of folks who prefer to toast their rolls. Go with what moves you, OK?

Scoop beef (and some juice) onto each roll. It won’t hurt to get a few Pepperoncinis in there, too.

If using cheese, add slices to top of beef. You can place the sandwiches under the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese, if desired.

Add giardiniera, if desired.

Serve with a nice salad and individual small bowls of juice for dipping. You could prepare a side if you wanted to, but I normally go with only the salad so there’s room for another sandwich!

Italian Style Beef SandwichesNotes:

Which Roast? – That depends. For me, it often depends on what’s on sale. There’s nothing wrong with saving a few dollars if you can, and this recipe is very forgiving. Or, you may have a particular cut you like better than all the others, in which case, by all means, use that one. Choices include top sirloin, top round and bottom round – all of which don’t have as much fat. But you can also use chuck, sirloin tip, and rump roasts. For fattier cuts, you may want to make this a day ahead so you can chill the juice overnight, then scrape off some (but not all) of the fat. If you do this, simply remove the fat, then put the meat and half the juice back into the slow cooker to reheat. Reheat the other half of the juice in a small pot.

Normally, I’ll recommend putting the cheese on the bread first (or omelet, for that matter), then pile on the hot main ingredient. The reason for this is that it helps melt the cheese. The reason I don’t suggest it here is that you want the inside of the bread to be open, not covered in cheese, so that it soaks up as much juice as possible.

The best bread is Italian or other high-gluten bread, as it holds together better after dipping.

If you’re having your sandwich “wet” – that is, dipped in juice, you may want to lean well over, so the drippings hit the plate or floor, instead of your shirt. They will stain. It will be hard to remove the stain. It’s a lot easier to wipe the floor. Incidentally, the places that offer wet Italian Beef sandwiches, all seem to have a small bar-height counter around the perimeter of the room. Folks stand well back from the counter and lean into it, supporting themselves on their elbows. That way, all the drippings hit the floor. So, you see, my idea isn’t that strange. In fact, it isn’t mine. I’m just telling you how they do it in ChiCAHgo!

Have fun, all y’all! Don’t forget to…

Play with your food!

Lane


Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

Follow me on Twitter | LIKE Manly Kitchen on Facebook

Lane

About Lane

Lane Baldwin is a an internationally-acclaimed singer, songwriter, author and food lover. He wasn't trained in France, and he doesn't have his own TV show. He just loves to cook, and loves sharing what he's learned over the years. In his "real life," Lane has toured the world, bringing his special brand of Blues-infused Americana to millions of fans. At home he leads a quiet life filled with good books, good food and good friends.