Italian Beef
intro
Tender, herb-infused slow-roasted beef piled on crusty hoagie rolls, served with savory au jus for dipping: the iconic Chicago crowd-feeding sandwich.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep beef and seasonings
Pat the 1.3 kg (3 lb) beef chuck roast completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix 8 g (1 tbsp) garlic powder, 4 g (1 tbsp) dried oregano, 2 g (1 tsp) dried basil, 1.5 g (1 tsp) dried thyme, 2 g (1 tsp) crushed red pepper flakes, 10 g (2 tsp) kosher salt, and 3 g (1 tsp) black pepper until evenly combined. Rub two-thirds of the spice blend all over every surface of the roast, pressing gently to help the spices stick, then let the seasoned roast rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Sear the beef roast
Heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high stovetop heat (190°C / 375°F). Once the oil is shimmering and just starting to send up faint wisps of smoke, carefully place the seasoned roast in the pot. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until a deep golden-brown crust forms on all 4 sides of the roast, about 12-16 minutes total. Transfer the seared roast to a clean plate and set aside temporarily.
Build the braising base
Reduce stovetop heat to medium (160°C / 320°F). Add the 200 g (1 large, diced) yellow onion to the same Dutch oven with the leftover beef drippings, and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the 18 g (6 cloves, minced) garlic and remaining one-third of the spice blend, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 960 ml (4 cups) beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift all browned fond bits, and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
Slow roast the beef
Return the seared roast to the Dutch oven, nestling it into the broth so the liquid comes halfway up the sides of the meat. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, then transfer it to a preheated 160°C (325°F) oven. Cook for 3 hours, without opening the lid, until the beef is fork-tender and pulls apart easily with gentle pressure from a fork.
Rest and shred beef
Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven, transfer the cooked roast to a cutting board, and tent it loosely with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes to allow the muscle fibers to relax and juices to redistribute. Use two forks to pull the beef into thin, shredded pieces against the grain, then return the shredded beef to the warm au jus (cooking liquid) in the pot to keep it moist and absorb flavor.
Assemble and serve
Slice the 6 crusty hoagie rolls lengthwise, leaving one long edge attached to keep the roll folded and contain filling. Pile 180-200 g of shredded beef onto each roll, top with 25 g (about 2 tbsp) of chopped drained hot giardiniera, and dip both cut sides of the assembled sandwich briefly into the warm au jus before serving. Serve extra au jus in small ramekins on the side for additional dipping.
Tips
2.Resist the urge to open the Dutch oven lid while the beef roasts; opening the lid drops the internal oven temperature and adds 15-20 minutes of extra cook time.
3.Shred the beef against the grain into thin pieces instead of large chunks; this helps the meat hold onto au jus and stay tender in every bite.
OMG, I grew up eating Italian beef from every corner stand in Chicago and this recipe is dead on! I was nervous I couldn’t replicate that juicy, herb-packed flavor at home but the slow roast makes the beef fall apart perfectly. Served it on crusty hoagie rolls with spicy giardiniera for our Sunday family dinner and even my super picky dad said it tasted like the spots we used to hit after Little League games. SO good, will be making this for every summer cookout from now on!
Total game changer for my weekly meal prep! I was worried the 3 hour 50 minute cook time would be a hassle but most of that is hands-off slow roast time, so I was able to knock out chores while it cooked. Portioned it out with roasted veggies and au jus dip for 5 days of lunches, and my coworkers kept stopping by my desk asking what smelled so good when I reheated it. Worth every minute!
Really solid recipe! My kids devoured the sandwiches when I made this for our post-practice dinner last night, I ended up having to make a second batch of the au jus because everyone was dipping so much. Only knock is I wish the seasoning measurements were a little more specific for folks who don’t cook roasts often— I guessed a little on the dried oregano and it was slightly herby for my taste, but that’s totally a me problem. Will definitely make again!
I’m used to smoking all my meats low and slow so I was skeptical a slow oven roast could deliver this much flavor, but man was I wrong. The crust on the outside from the herb rub was insane, and the beef was so tender I could pull it apart with a fork. Brought it to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and there were zero leftovers, people were asking for the recipe before I even finished setting out the platter.
Just pulled this out of the oven and WOW. Made it gluten free by serving it over baked potatoes instead of hoagie rolls for my household, and it’s just as good! The au jus is so rich and flavorful, I even tossed some of the roasted peppers from the pan into the potatoes for extra zing. No notes, this is going into the permanent dinner rotation.
Okay I’m a super broke college student who can barely make mac and cheese without burning it, and even I pulled this off! Yeah the cook time is long but most of it is just waiting around, you don’t have to be a fancy chef to get this right. Split the cost of the roast with my roommates and we ate like kings for 2 days straight. 10/10 for the difficulty level, I was scared it was too hard but it was totally manageable.
This is so close to the Italian beef I used to get when I visited family in Chicago as a kid! I added a little extra garlic to the rub because I’m a garlic fiend, and it slapped. My only note is that my roast cooked about 20 minutes faster than the recipe said, so I’d recommend checking the internal temp a little early if your oven runs hot like mine.
I spent 15 years working in diners around Chicago and I have to say, this recipe is spot on. The ratio of Italian seasoning, garlic, and paprika in the rub is exactly what we used back in the day, and the slow roast method at a lower temp keeps the beef from getting tough. Made it for my grandkids over the weekend and they asked for seconds before they even finished their first sandwich. Total home run.