Download a printable copy of Chicago Johnny's Italian Beef Recipe:
Though a great deal of us love our Chicago Italian Beef sandwiches, we have many ways we eat them; dipped, dry, wet, with sweet peppers, with hot giardiniera, with mozzarella, with provolone, toasted, et cetera.The fact of the matter is that the right way to eat an Italian beef sandwich is simple: you eat an Italian beef sandwich the way that you love it most! Don't let stereotypes or criticisms stop you from enjoying your Italian beef sandwich your own way!
So when I started Chicago Johnny's as a giardiniera company (the hot or sweet pepper mix topping many Italian beef sandwiches) I was immediately inundated with requests to share my Italian beef recipe. Just in case you were wondering I love my Italian beef sandwiches with provolone, sweet peppers (fried green bell peppers with garlic), hot giardiniera (of course I use Chicago Johnny's! www.ChicagoJohnnys.com) & I dip my sandwich.
To get started making your Chicago Johnny's Italian Beef sandwich you will need:
3-5 Lb beef roast
1 peeled bulb garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl Italian seasoning
1 Tbl oregano
1 tea black pepper
2 tea sweet paprika
2 tea crushed red pepper
1 Tbl onion powder
1 tea granulated garlic
1 tea sea salt
16 Oz. beef stock
Provolone or mozzarella cheese
High gluten French bread
Chicago Johnny’s Giardiniera
The process in making your Chicago Johnny's Italian Beef:
Puree the following together in a food processor: garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, oregano, black pepper, sweet paprika, crushed red pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic, sea salt.
Sear your roast in a hot pan, stovetop. Use a spatula to rub your pureed spices onto your roast. Put your rubbed roast & any juices from searing into a deep glass or metal dish & add 16 oz. of beef stock; place into a preheated 225 degree oven for 90-120
minutes, depending on the size of your roast.
Put your roast & gravy into two separate dishes & refrigerate them overnight.
Slice your roast as thin as you can without shaving it. Put your gravy into a pot & bring to a simmer; put your thinly sliced beef into the simmering gravy until cooked through; this process will only take moments.
Compile your sandwich with any/or all of the following: provolone, mozzarella, Italian beef, Chicago Johnny’s Giardiniera, sweet peppers*.
Using tongs, grab your whole sandwich & “dip” it into your
simmering gravy for a flavorful Italian beef.
*To make sweet peppers, slice 2-3 green bell peppers & sauté
in olive oil, 7-10 cloves garlic, 1 tea black pepper, 2 tea
sea salt; cook until peppers just start to soften.
Your sandwich should end up looking like this!
Italian beef roasts are meant to utilize tough, cheap cuts of beef. There is no need to get the most expensive or 'nicest' cuts to make this dish! You are slow roasting this dish to help make a tender sandwich, don't overspend. You can get whatever is on sale, Top Round, Bottom Round, Eye of Round, even Boston Round works with a good enough slicer.
Your roast should still be slightly pink in the center when you are done roasting it. You will finish the cooking process in the gravy so don't dry out your roast in the oven overcooking it.
Refrigerating your roast after cooking it will help you to slice it thinner. You want a very THIN sliced roast for your sandwiches.
This is a long process. Don't rush it.
And most of all, have fun with it!
Much Love & Appreciation,
Josh Downey
Chicago Johnny's
www.ChicagoJohnnys.com
You can follow along with my cooking video here:
