Homemade Chicago Italian Beef, U R MINE.
Being from Chicago, which I’ve been milking since I’ve got here lol, I get cravings for food that really isn’t available in the Paclific NW. White Castles (yes, I know GROSS), deep dish pizzas and at the time, shredded Italian beef sandwiches, dipped in its own jus / gravy.
I trolled the Internets and found this recipe right here, which called for small amounts of garlic and onion powder, dried oregano, basil and *GASP* BEEF BOULLION CUBES.
I purchased the pantry items I didn’t have at a restaurant supply store, which honestly gave me more bang for my buck – you’ll get 20 ounces for $5 here vs. $7 ounces at your grocery store. Since these are jarred spices, I stored them in a dark and cool cupboard and dated them 1 year from the open date as a reminder to check the strength of flavor. I tend to go through my spices on a regular basis, so when I introduce a new spice I try to think about how I can use the items in everyday cooking – it keeps things fresh and interesting, no?
Normally, after rubbing the meat with the spice rub and cooking it in the oven at 350 degrees until the internal temperature was 140 degrees, I would cut it as thinly as possible with a long bladed knife with a good amount of success, but since I have access to a quality industrial-sized slicer, I was able to create uniform large sheets of beef without much effort. Before you serve, take the leftover jus and gently heat the beef until cooked through. Assembly is quite easy after that.
Slice a hearty French roll (like Turano or a crusty baguette) and place the meat in the bun and top with store bought giardiniera (I’ll try a homemade recipe soon), chopped to the size of your liking. THEN, DIP THE HELL OUT OF THE SAMMICH IN THE LEFTOVER “GRAVY” – THAT’S THE BEST PART. lol. A few sauteed strips of green peppers don’t hurt either. Serve with fries, chips and an ice cold soda. If you’re feeling bold, cook off a few Italian sausages and put that in a bun with the shaved meat for a traditional “combo.”
Honestly, the recipe satiated my cravings, but also created a desire to make a few tweets and create the other components (giardiniera and French roll) from scratch.
SOON MY DARLINGS. SOON.
~Spec
