Best Chicago Italian Roast Beef Sandwich Recipes

CHICAGO-STYLE ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH

Steps:

• For the pot roast: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Liberally sprinkle the entire roast with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on all sides until golden and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes per side; reduce the heat if the fat begins to smoke. Transfer the roast to a plate and reduce the heat to medium.
• Add the onions and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and garlic and saute until fragrant, another minute. Deglaze with the red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer until reduced by about half, another 2 to 5 minutes. Add the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning of the liquid.
• Put the roast back in the pot with any accumulated juices and place in the oven, covered. Cook the roast, turning every 30 minutes and uncovering the pot for the last 30 minutes of cooking, until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent with foil. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F for the peppers and bread.
• For the sweet peppers: Toss the pepper strips with the olive oil, granulated garlic and some salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring halfway through, until lighter in color and softened, about 45 minutes.
• Strain the pot roast jus through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and return to the pot. Bring to a simmer and simmer until reduced slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Keep warm.
• Once the meat has cooled a bit, remove the twine. Pull the meat into smaller chunks and return to the reduced jus until ready to build the sandwiches.
• For the sandwich build: Rub the rolls with some of the giardiniera oil and toast in the oven until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Place some beef on a roll, then some sweet peppers (with some of the oil they were cooked in), followed by some hot giardiniera. Pour a small dish of reduced jus. Quickly dunk the whole sandwich in the hot jus, then wrap in deli paper or parchment paper and wait for 2 to 3 minutes while the magic happens. Repeat with the remaining rolls and toppings. When ready, open up and eat!

CHICAGO ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH

Steps:

• Rub meat with dry ingredients, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Add meat to a roasting pan with bacon fat, add onions and garlic, saute for 15 minutes, deglaze with wine, and add Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and bay leaves.
• Place roasting pan in the oven and cook for 3 hours, uncovered, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 135 degrees F in center. Remove, let cool, then slice very thin.
• Cool broth in roasting pan and remove the fat that rises to the top. Strain.
• Reheat the broth, and add the sliced meat. Place some meat on each toasted roll, ladle with some broth and top with giardiniera vegetables and red peppers.

COOKING THE EPISODE: THE BEAR'S ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH IS THE MOST ICONIC SANDWICH IN CHICAGO

Steps:

• Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich Trim fat from beef and set aside, you can always use it as the fat base if you have a food processor but if you don't, cover the base of your pan with grapeseed oil. Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large rondeau heat grapeseed oil under medium / high heat. Sear beef on all sides to brown. Once browned, remove beef and rest on a half sheet tray with a cooling rack. Deglaze pan with your aromatics - the rough chopped, skin on, carrots, celery and garlic and stir with a wooden spoon to melt. Once all the fond has come up from the pan, deglaze with beef stock and stir. Mix in dried herbs, bouillon, and seasonings. Add beef back in with the torn or sliced green peppers, just make sure to remove all the seeds. Cook in oven set at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Checking internal temp to 140 degrees. Once your beef has cooked, take it out and let it rest until cool. Remove your peppers from the jus and place in to another large pot that is on very low heat, then strain your liquid to remove all the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Once the beef has fully cooled and rested, thinly slice the beef about half an inch thickness if you can and place it all back in the jus with the peppers. Get all your buns ready to start building! Slice your bun in half and take a tong-full of your beef, lay it in gently, then stuff one of the peppers in there and top with your giardinara. Dip each corner into the jus and wrap up your sandwich in parchment or wax paper.

CHICAGO-ITALIAN ROAST BEEF SANDWICH

Steps:

• In saucepan, heat roast beef in au jus.
• Coarsely chop jar of giardiniera. (Also called California Hot Mix, which can be found in pickle aisle. I like Mezzetta brand.).
• Split roll and butter the inside. (Or you can skip this step in lieu of steaming roll in microwave a few seconds.).
• Heat skillet then place roll, buttered side down, on surface to toast.
• When inside of bread is slightly toasted, remove from skillet and top with warm roast beef (along with a few extra spoonfuls of au jus).
• Top with Provolone and heat in microwave 20-30 seconds until cheese begins to melt. Top with 1/4 cup giardiniera.
• Enjoy!

CHICAGO-STYLE BEEF SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Cut roast in half; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown meat in oil on all sides. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker., In a food processor, combine the mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic and oregano. Cover and process until finely chopped. Transfer to slow cooker. Combine beef broth and base; pour over top. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until tender., Remove meat and shred with two forks. Skim fat from cooking juices. Return meat to slow cooker; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, serve beef on buns; top with giardiniera.

CHICAGO-INSPIRED ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH

Steps:

• Season beef with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Cook and stir beef in hot oil until browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Stir garlic, vinegar, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, thyme, rosemary, 1 teaspoon black pepper, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes into beef. Pour enough chicken broth into beef mixture to cover the meat by 1 inch and bring to a simmer.
• Cover pot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer until meat is fork-tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer meat with a strainer or slotted spoon to a separate pot; pour about 1/4 cup of meat broth into pot. Use a wooden spoon to gently break meat into smaller chunks. Cover pot with a lid or aluminum foil and keep warm.
• Skim excess grease from top of broth remaining in the first pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover pot with a lid or aluminum foil and keep broth warm.
• Lay halves of a roll out on a work surface and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons meat broth over each half. Top bottom half of roll with a generous portion of meat and a spoonful of pickled vegetables. Place tops on sandwich. Repeat with remaining buns, broth, meat, and pickled vegetables to make 3 more sandwiches.
• Spoon hot meat broth into ramekins and top each ramekin with 1/2 teaspoon parsley. Serve sandwiches with hot broth for dipping.