Da Best Chicago Style Italian Beef Recipes

" DA BEST" CHICAGO-STYLE ITALIAN BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Sprinkle the roast with garlic powder, oregano and pepper, then cook roast, uncovered, in a shallow roasting pan, about 30 minutes per pound.
• Roast will be very rare-- don't overcook it!
• Let cool slightly, then thinly slice.
• Add to the roast's pan drippings: the boiling water, bouillon cubes, oregano, thyme, pepper, Tabasco sauce, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
• Simmer for 20 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.
• Taste for salt and add some if you wish.
• Add the sliced beef; cover and marinate in da gravy overnight.
• Reheat the next day and serve in crusty Italian sandwich rolls.

CHICAGO ITALIAN BEEF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut bread two-thirds of the way through. Toast bread in oven until crispy on outside.
• Drop sliced Roast into simmering Beef Juice. Jam beef in baguette. Dip sammich in beef juice pot.
• Drop Sweet Peppers into Beef Juice to get hot and wet.
• Add Giardiniera to sammich. Drape peppers across the beef.
• Serve with more Beef Juice on the side.
• Mix together the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion and oregano in a bowl until combined.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cover roast with spice mix (you will have some spice mix left over). Drizzle olive oil over top of roast. Place roast on a rack with water in the bottom of the pan (don't let the water touch the meat). Roast until the internal temperature registers 118 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. Let roast cool. Reserve the juice.
• Thin-slice roast, as thin as you can. Can't slice thin? You are screwed. Or you can buy your chef friend a six-pack and she will do it for you. Save beef scraps!
• Portion roast slices into 5- to 7-ounce balls.
• Pour all the extra juice and beef scraps in a pot. If there's not enough juice, add some beef base and some water. Taste. Make sure it's not too salty. Simmer for 1 hour, strain and put juice back on to simmer.
• Split pepper in half, then clean white membrane out of it. Cut halves into thirds.
• Heat saute pan on high heat. Once hot, add olive oil. Drop in peppers skin-side down. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Let pepper blister and char, then flip peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn heat off and let peppers rest.
• Put the vinegar, salt, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, black pepper and 2 cups cold water into a 4-quart container and stir until the salt has dissolved.
• Cut carrots, celery, onions, green peppers and red peppers into 1/3-inch uniform dice.
• Thinly slice jalapenos and serrano (approximately 1/8-inch thick).
• Place cut veggies into brine and stir well until all ingredients are combined.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 days. Stir in olive oil.

CHICAGO ITALIAN BEEF (POT ROAST STYLE)

Steps:

• For the pot roast: Position a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven 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; reduce the heat if the fat begins to smoke. Transfer the roast to a plate and reduce the heat to medium. Add in the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper and saute until fragrant, another minute. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Deglaze with the red wine and cook until reduced by half. Add in the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning of the jus. Place the roast back into the pot with any accumulated juices and place in the oven. Cook the roast, turning every 30 minutes, until very tender, 3 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Increase the oven heat to 350 degrees F.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent with foil. Strain the jus through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and return back to the pot. Bring to a simmer and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Once cooled a bit, pull the meat into smaller chunks, return to the reduced jus and reserve until ready to build the sandwiches.
• 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 soft, about 20 minutes.
• For the sandwich build: Place some beef on a roll, then some sweet peppers and then some Homemade Hot Giardiniera. Pour a small dish of reduced jus. Take the whole sandwich and quickly dunk in hot jus. Using two hands, go the hell to town.
• Day One: Combine 2 cups water and the salt in a glass or non- reactive bowl. Mix until the salt is dissolved. Add the carrots, cauliflower, serranos, garlic, celery and bell peppers to the salt water and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Day Two: Drain and rinse the vegetables. In a clean bowl, mix together the canola oil with the oregano and pepper. Add the vegetables and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Giardiniera will only get better with time. After 2 days at the most in the bowl, you can place in air-tight Mason jars and keep in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 weeks. Makes 3 to 4 cups.
• From Food Network Kitchens; after further testing and to ensure the best results this recipe has been altered from what was in the actual episode.

SLOW COOKER ITALIAN BEEF FOR SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
• Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.
• Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.

CHICAGO ITALIAN BEEF

Steps:

• Cook first 5 ingredients in a Crockpot on LOW for 18 (eighteen) hours.
• Turn over at the 6th and 12th hour interval.
• At the 17th hour cut sweet green peppers into 1/8 ths lengthwise and cook in water on low heat until soft.
• Cut bread into 6 inch lengths and slice on the side lengthwise.
• Pull roast apart with a fork, and using tongs, pile bread with meat and juice.
• (Do not let juice drain before putting on bread. The juice is half the taste of the sandwich.) Lay strips of green pepper on top of the meat.
• Salt to taste.
• OPEN WIDE and enjoy the most wonderful taste sensation.
• May be frozen when cooked.