Last year I had an incredibly long post about Cincinnati Skyline Chili... I present to you - The Chicago Italian Beef:
From Wikipedia:
[WHAT IS IT?]
An Italian beef is a sandwich of thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices, on a dense, long Italian-style roll, believed to have originated in Chicago, where its history dates back at least to the 1930s.The bread itself is often dipped (or double-dipped) into the juices the meat is cooked in, and the sandwich is typically topped off with Chicago-style giardiniera (called "hot") or sauteed, green Italian sweet peppers (called "sweet").
Italian beef sandwiches can be found at most hot dog stands and small Italian-American restaurants throughout the city of Chicago and its suburbs. They are difficult to find outside the Chicago metropolitan area. In some cities outside northeastern Illinois, however, Chicago expatriates have opened restaurants across the country serving Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs, and other foods original to the Chicago area.
[WHATS IN IT?]
Italian beef is made using cuts of beef from the sirloin butt or the top/bottom round wet-roasted in broth with garlic, oregano and spices until medium rare or medium. The roast is then cooled, shaved using a deli slicer, and then served dripping wet after a reintroduction to its reheated beef broth; hence the need to use a chewy bread, as a softer bread would disintegrate. Typical bread used is long, Italian style loafs without seeds sliced from six to eight inches in length.[HISTORY]
Origins of the sandwich are disputed, but one early vendor, Al's No. 1 Italian Beef, opened its first stand in 1938.
One story has it that the Italian Beef sandwich was started by Italian immigrants who worked for the old Union Stock Yards. They often would bring home some of the tougher, less desirable cuts of beef sold by the company. To make the meat more palatable, it was slow-roasted to make it more tender, then slow-simmered in a spicy broth for flavor. Both the roasting and the broth used Italian-style spices and herbs. The meat was then thinly sliced across the grain and stuffed into fresh Italian bread.
Boy grew up in Chicago. Girl grew up in Arizona. Boy moved to Arizona. Girl moved to Ohio. Girl moved back to Arizona and met boy from Chicago. Boy from Chicago introduced Girl from Arizona to Chicago Beefs. Girl and Boy ventured to Chicago and ate REAL Chicago beefs. End of story.
We have a little shack - that's what it is, a shack - near our 'hood that serves this up. YUM. However, I figured out how to make my own for 1/2 the price. AWESOME. First time I made it, there wasn't near enough flavor, but this time..success!
Eat it with fries...
Top it with cheese...
Top with Giardiniera...
Mine is "inspired" in that I don't have a slicer so I use a crock pot and simmer it until it's falling apart.
1 2-3lb Beef Roast (Chuck, Rump, Bottom Round)
1 small can each of beef consomme, beef broth and french onion soup (strain the onions out & discard)
2 Tbsp Beef Bouillon
1 Tsp each of Garlic power, Onion power, Parsley, Kosher Salt, Oregano, Pepper
Crusty/Dense Italian Deli Rolls
Optional: Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese, Giardiniera peppers
Mix spices together, coat all sides of trimmed beef with spices. Place meat in slow cooker and cover with all the beef liquid and cook for 8 to 10 hours. When meat is done, it will fall apart to bite size chunks. Spoon meat into halved rolls and ladle extra "gravy" on the meat/roll as desired.
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