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Italian Beef Sandwiches

Source of Recipe


From "Steak Lover's Cookbook" by William Rice



List of Ingredients



• 3 cups beef broth
  
• ¾ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  
• ¾ tsp dried Italian herb seasoning
  
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
  
• ½ cup hot-pepper giardiniera (recipe follows)
  
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  
• 4 Italian buns or soft rolls, 6 to 7 inches long
  
• 1 pound tip steak or top round steak, cut into thin strips
  






Instructions



1. Combine the broth, black pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Strain the broth.
   
   
2. Coarsely chop the giardiniera if the pieces are large. Stir in the red pepper flakes for a spicy sandwich. Slice buns lengthwise, without cutting them completely in half. Using a meat pounder, the side of a cleaver, or a large knife, pound each strip of meat until very thin. Bring the broth back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a bare simmer and add the meat strips, a few at a time. Cook until they are brown and have cooked through, about 1 minute. Stir with tongs or chopsticks as needed to keep the slices apart. Do not let the broth return to a boil or the meat will toughen. Remove the pan from the heat.
   
   
3. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of meat broth over the inside of each bun. Divide the beef strips among the buns and moisten each portion with 2 more tablespoons of broth. Top with 2 tablespoons of giardiniera. Cut each bun crosswise and serve with plenty of paper napkins.
   
   Serves 4
   
   ............
   
   GIARDINIERA
   
   • 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
   • 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
   • 2 inner ribs celery, diced
   • 1 cup sport peppers (jarred hot Italian peppers), cut into ¼-inch pieces
   • 1 cup pepperonicini, cut into ¼-inch pieces
   • 2 jalapeños, cored, seeded, and cut into pieces
   • 2 Tbsp olive oil
   • 2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
   
   Combine bell peppers, celery, sport peppers, pepperoncini, and the jalapeños in a bowl. Toss with oil and vinegar until well mixed. Transfer to a 1-quart jar, cover, and store in the refrigerator until needed. The relish will stay crisp for 3 to 4 days.
   
   Makes one quart.