Italian Beef

Italian Beefs bring me right back to my childhood.  My mom used to make them when I was younger.  It was the only way my parents could enjoy this Chicago staple on the east coast.

This is a delicious sandwich, and it a great crowd pleaser.  It is an easy thing to make for a lot of people, it just takes some good planning and the day you have people over, you have minimal cooking to do.  My favorite way to eat it is "soaked" where you dip the whole sandwich into the juice.  We always have a ton of leftovers if I just make it for us, so Hubby turns them into cheesesteaks.

printable recipe
Italian Beef- recipe I learned from watching Mom
1 beef roast (3 lbs served about 14-16 sandwiches)
kosher salt
black pepper
oregano
garlic powder
olive oil
2 packets of Au Jus prepared according to package
a few loaves of crusty bread
Sliced Red and Green peppers
Giardiniera (if you can get it)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Pat the beef roast dry.  Coat liberally with kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano.  Lightly sprinkle garlic powder over the meat.  Rub the outside of the meat with olive oil.  I use a cooking thermometer stuck in the center of the meat with an alarm that tells me when it is 130 degrees on the inside.  It usually takes between 1 and 1/2-2 hours to cook.

Let the beef cool.  Place in fridge overnight.  I have a slicer to slice my meat super thin.  If you don't have a slicer, you could just slice it as thin as possible with a knife.  It is important that the beef is really cold, it makes it much easier.

When you are ready to serve, make the Au Jus packets according to their directions.  Place the sliced beef in the Au Jus add a pinch of fennel and a teaspoon of oregano.  Sauté the sliced red and green peppers in olive oil.  Season them with salt and pepper. Toast the bread in the oven.

To make your sandwich: Dip the bread into the Au Jus.  Pile on the sliced beef and add peppers and Giardiniera.  Quickly dip the whole sandwich into the Au Jus.  If you don't like the sandwich that wet (Mom) then do a little less dipping :)