Chicago's Italian beef sandwich uses thin-sliced eye of round, slow-cooked in a deeply seasoned broth, piled onto bread, and dipped in the cooking juices — a Midwestern classic.
Serves 6–8 peoplePrep 20 minCook 3 hr 30 min
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Ingredients
- 1.5 kg eye of round roast
- 1 litre beef stock
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Italian bread rolls to serve
- Giardiniera (pickled vegetables) and sweet peppers to serve
Method
- 1Combine all seasonings. Rub generously over the beef on all sides.
- 2Place beef in a roasting pan. Pour stock and Worcestershire sauce around (not over) the beef.
- 3Cover tightly with foil and roast at 150 °C for 3.5 hours until very tender.
- 4Remove beef and rest for 30 minutes. Strain the cooking juices into a pot and keep warm — this is the au jus for dipping.
- 5Slice the beef as thin as possible (a deli slicer if available). Pile onto rolls, ladle with warm juices. Dip the whole sandwich briefly in the au jus before eating. Top with giardiniera.
Chef's tip
The 'wet' sandwich is dipped fully in the cooking juices before serving — expect mess, and line the tray accordingly.