Quick Chicago Beef Sandwiches
The cheat way to make a great Chicago beef sandwich
Homemade Italian beef sandwiches have never been easier, especially when you take shortcuts! This staple sandwich is a Chicago FAVORITE and as local Chicagoan, I’m going to teach you how to make it the shortcut Chicago way. There are THREE extremely important ingredients to find to make a good roast beef sandwich. The sliced beef, the perfect soft French baguette, and some good Chicago-made giardiniera. Start by cutting up your bread and brushing the insides with garlic butter. We got a garlic bread base, then top it with your hot beef by dunking your thinly sliced roast beef into boiling beef stock for a few seconds, then top it with cheese and put it in the oven. The key to a good Chicago beef sandwich is the pickled condiment on top. Add hot peppers, mild or hot giardiniera, or even pickled onions. You NEED pickles with this. Are you salivating yet? Good!
Garlic bread is the first enhancement we make to our juicy beef sandwiches because it flavors the bread and also dries it out so it can hold more au jus. The secret is garlic bread, but you already knew that.
The longest process in this is the warming up the roast beef in the au jus. You start with your au jus. Now normally this is the stuff you buy in a little packet from McCormick or buy frozen at Costco, but when you’re making it at home keep it simple. Start with good store-bought beef broth or even beef bouillon and flavor from there. Add spices like dried oregano, dried garlic, dried onion, chili flakes. You add what you like, just make sure it’s salty enough. Once you’re au jus is satisfactory it’s time to add the beef. Work with your sliced beef one slice at a time dipping the meat into the hot jus for at least 10 seconds. If you add it all in there, it will overcook. Hold your cooked beef in a bowl of warm jus so it stays juicy.
ASSEMBLE! Melting the cheese is an important step because it requires baking the whole sandwich. Use the broiler and melt the cheese quick. If you preferred your beef sandwich dipped or extra juicy, wait until after the cheese is melted to do that.
Note: If you’re au jus doesn’t taste good, neither will your bread if you dip your bread. Keep that au jus simple and it will taste great!
Quick Chicago Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs. London broil deli roast beef, sliced very thin
- 2 cups whole milk mozzarella, freshly grated
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 soft French baguettes, cut into 6" pieces
- 1 quart good beef broth
- Dried oregano, dried garlic, dried onion, and chili flakes, for seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Chicago giardiniera, optional
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 º F and prepare a parchment-lined sheet tray.
- Cut each roll 75% of the way through for filling, place it onto the prepared sheet tray, and open each bread up. Mix the melted butter and minced garlic, then brush each roll.
- Bake garlic bread in the oven until golden and toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the jus by bringing the beef broth to a boil and seasoning with spices. Start to separate the slices of roast beef before dunking the meat into the au jus for exactly 10 - 15 seconds. The beef should go from that ruby pink color to a dull brown. Remove cooked meat to a tray and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Assemble the sandwiches by topping each roll with beef, and some shredded cheese, then place into the oven to melt the cheese. If using broil, be careful to not burn the bread.
- Top each sandwich with giardiniera before closing. Keep warm in the oven until serving or serve immediately!