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Chicago-Style Beef Sandwich

In honor of the gratuitous number of shots of me eating steak on last night’s Iron Chef episode, I thought this recipe was in order for today.

Now before all of the hard core Chicago beef sandwich eaters start freaking out, let me tell you that this recipe is very much my own version… it’s not perfect, it is not from the religious order of Chicago-style beef eating folk.

But it’s tasty! So let’s get started, shall we?

You will need: beef (sirloin, top round, or bottom round), garlic cloves, paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, Aleppo pepper, sherry vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, beef bullion, sweet peppers, giardiniera or mufaletta mix

Begin by adding your spices and herbs to a bowl. Salt and pepper too.

Combine them all together until well mixed.

Meanwhile, make slits in the beef with the tip of a paring knife.

Cut the garlic cloves lengthwise so that they are thin.

Press them into the slits.

Rub the mixture all over the meat. Give it a nice massage.

Then pop it in the oven, covered in foil and dry roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, get the bullion and water going to a summer until the cubes dissolve, then turn off the heat.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and add the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze the pan.

Mmm.

Pour the bullion liquid into the pan, and scrape the bottom of the roasting pan. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F, cover the roasting pan, and place it back in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the meat is tender. This will vary depending on the cut of the meat, so cut a slice and taste it if necessary.

Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes.

Thinly slice the beef.

Store the slices in the liquid to keep them saucy.

Cut a roll in half.

Pile on your meat.

Then some sweet and tangy peppers. Or as the Italians would say, “peppahs.”

Add the giardiniera too.

And drizzle on some of that delicious sauce.

And there you have it my friends. Make this for someone you love. They’ll never forget it.

“Chicago-Style Beef Sandwich”

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds beef top sirloin top round, or bottom round
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 6 cups water
  • 4 cubes of beef bouillon
  • 6-8 rolls
  • 1 cup sweet peppers
  • ½ cup hot giardiniera or mufaletta mix

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make small, deep incisions all over the top sirloin and insert the garlic clove halves evenly.
  • Combine the spices with the salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix. Rub the mixture into the beef, covering all surfaces well.
  • Set the top sirloin in a roasting pan, place on the middle rack in the oven and dry roast for 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small saucepan on the stovetop, combine the water with the beef bouillon until fully dissolved. Turn off the heat.
  • Remove the roasting pan from the oven and add the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to the pan to deglaze. Add the bouillon liquid and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F, cover the meat with aluminum foil, and return it to the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the meat is tender. The time will vary depending on the cut of the meat, so cut a slice and taste it if necessary.
  • Once cooked, remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice the beef thinly, and lay the cut meat in the pan of liquid.
  • To assemble the sandwiches, pile the meat onto soft rolls. Top each sandwich with sweet peppers, hot giadinera, and a spoonful of juice from the roasting pan. Serve!

10 Comments

  • Christer Petersson
    Posted July 11, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    WOW!
    I´m in love…

  • Dave Grill
    Posted July 12, 2012 at 12:28 pm

    hmmm looks sooo freaking good, and I am born and raised in Chicago and I know good beef!!
    way to go Georgia

  • [email protected]
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 11:58 am

    This looks so delcious. I can’t wait to try this. I love pepperonci peppers in the pickled veggies..oh my.

  • jimbobadger
    Posted July 20, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Being a cheese-head, and weaned on Brats, this is heaven.
    And I made to too! Even my 24 year old son said, “Dad, that’s
    the best sandwich I have ever eaten.” So, is that praise, or what?
    From a college kid?

    • Post Author
      Georgia
      Posted July 22, 2012 at 11:16 am

      Oh yey, that’s wonderful. You can have it permanently in your repertoire now.

  • Esther
    Posted August 11, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    This was excellent! I used a venison sirloin and cooked in the crock pot on high for 3 hours and on warm for 14 hours (we lost power partway through the day so I “got to” slow cook another day). I didn’t have the hot giardiniera, unfortunately. (Hopefully next time.) The green pepper and onion were sauteed in butter and some of the sauce. I also lightly toasted the sandwich rolls in butter, sprinkled with garlic salt and after adding the meat and peppers and onions to the rolls, spooned some of the sauce on the top roll and over the meat. YUM. Your recipe is wonderful! Hubby – and even my 5 year olds – loved it!

    • Post Author
      Georgia
      Posted August 13, 2012 at 12:42 pm

      So wonderful! I love that you tried it with venison, I bet it was delicious 🙂

  • Aimee @ ShugarySweets
    Posted August 14, 2012 at 11:53 am

    Look delicious!

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