Email to Cat      

Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Source of Recipe

From "Saveur: The New Classics"


Recipe Introduction

"This Windy City icon is no insipid deli sandwich. Beef is roasted under a coating of basil, oregano, and garlic, thinly sliced, then drenched in garlicky gravy that permeates the crusty roll."

List of Ingredients

◦  1½ Tbsp crushed red chile flakes
◦  1 tsp red wine vinegar
◦  3 pickled jalapeños, stemmed and thinly sliced
◦  3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
◦  Kosher and freshly ground black pepper
◦  1 Tbsp dried basil
◦  1 Tbsp dried oregano
◦  4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
◦  12½ pound beef sirloin tip roast, trimmed
◦  Six 6-inch crusty Italian rolls, split
◦  3 green bell peppers, seeded, thickly sliced, and boiled until soft


Recipe

Stir together half the chile flakes, the vinegar, jalapeños, celery, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Cover pepper relish and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to overnight.

Heat oven to 425° F.
Combine remaining chile flakes with basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place roast beef in a roasting pan, rub with half the spice mixture, and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F and roast for another 20 minutes. Combine remaining spice mixture with 4 cups water and add to roasting pan; continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 130° F, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Skim fat from broth and keep broth warm.

Thinly slice beef with a deli slicer or an electric knife and return to broth until hot. Stuff each roll with some of the beef, broth, and green peppers and top with pepper relish.


Serves 6


â—¦ Cook's Note:
Unless you have access to a deli slicer, the best way to achieve the ultra-thin slices of beef needed for this sandwich is to freeze the beef after cooking it, then thaw slightly before slicing with an electric knife.