Italian Beef Sandwich

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 12 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 pounds rump roast (or beef chuck roast, with the silver pieces and excess fat trimmed off)

3 cloves garlic

1 onion (sliced)

¼ cup pepperoncini peppers

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon chili flakes

½ teaspoon Ground black pepper

4 cups low-sodium beef broth

Au Jus (from the roast) (strained broth from the roast)

1 cup giardiniera (hot or mild, diced)

½ cup hot cherry peppers (seeded and sliced)

6 French rolls (or hoagie rolls, each sliced in half but still connected on one side)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven until it starts to shimmer. Sear the roast on all sides for 4-5 minutes per side until all sides start to brown and crisp.

Remove the roast from the pot and set aside. Add the garlic, onion, pepperoncini, sugar, salt, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, chili flakes, pepper, and beef broth and stir to combine.

Return the roast to the pot, placing it on top of the onion and seasonings, then cover with an off-set lid. Place it in the oven and roast for 4 hours, or until a fork easily pierces through the meat. (Turn the roast over every hour to ensure even cooking.) Remove from the oven.

(Optional) Allow the roast to cool to room temperature (around 1 ½-2 hours) before covering with a lid and refrigerating overnight.

Remove the pot from the refrigerator and transfer the beef to a large cutting board. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pan or skillet (if the broth has congealed due to cooling, reheat on the stovetop until warm, then proceed with straining.) Meanwhile, thinly slice the beef using a meat slicer or sharp knife.

Bring the broth (au jus) to a simmer over medium heat. Add the slices of beef to the broth and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

To assemble the sandwiches, layer the beef into the sliced buns and drizzle with a spoonful or two of au jus, then add a few spoons of the Giardiniera on top, followed by a spoonful of the sweet peppers.

Serve with the au jus in small ramekins or bowls for dunking.

Nutrition

• Calories: 651 kcal
• Total Fat: 27 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
• Cholesterol: 141 mg
• Sodium: 2306 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 63 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 62 g