Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwich recipe please

[jayco]

I guess I grew up deprived! I've never had the pleasure of going to Chicago. So I've never tasted an authentic Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwich.

I've done some online research and there are many recipes available. They all claim to be authentic but they're all different!!!

Does anybody that has tasted the real deal have a recipe that comes close. I want to duplicate it at my house.

Thanks,

 

[Michelemarie]

I'm sorry Jayco, I do not have any recipes for Chicago beef, mainly because they are so readily available to me. Good luck in your search!

 

[jayco]

Michelle Marie

Have you ever been to Als #1 at 1079 West Taylor St.? You can mailorder from them but it's pricey!! I think around $60 for a pound of beef and a quart of sauce.

 

[Michelemarie]

Al's is phenominal! I would have to say one of the best! Portillo's beef is good too - and their mail order is $60 for two 1-lb. packages with gravy and rolls. I would get your own fresh rolls though - and top with peppers, yum! Here is a link to portillo's http://www.portillos.com/

 

[Constance]

We've had several restaurants around here that offer what they claim to be Chicago style Italian beef. One of the sandwiches consists of an Italian sausauge swimming in the Italian beef. Talk about a gut bomb...
None of them seem to taste any different than mine.

My recipe is simple. I used to use all the separate herbs, but now I use a packet or two of dry Italian dressing mix, which already has everything in it.
Sart with a nice roast...chuck, rump or sirloin tip...and either cook it in the crock-pot or a slow oven. Rub in the seasoning and then put in the pot with a beer and let slow cook until it's starting to get tender.
Remove from pan, slice thin, then return to pan with juices and let cook a while longer. Spoon on to hoagie buns and serve with pepperoncini.

 

[BlueCat]

I don't use the Italian seasoning packets. I use my own combinations of oregano, basil, chopped onions, garlic, a bit of crushed red pepper, etc. Along with that, I use beef broth rather than beer, and throw in a few hot peppers to the broth. They're just delicious.

BC

 

[StirBlue]

Chicago It. Beef

Italian Beef: When my son comes home to IL, he wants his favorites and this is one of them. It. Beef is simply a good cut of roast beef, lean and tender. 4 lbs makes a major lot! It. Beef is a crockpot special. Use generous amounts of dried basil and oregano (fresh is not always plentiful in the midwest). It. Seasoning has a few things not common to this traditional dish. A tiny bit of garlic powder and salt is okay but don't get carried away. Garlic is a natural tenderizer like vinegar and both can overtake the flavor of almost any spice or herb.
I add my basil and oregano into the bottom of my crockpot and add enough water to cover the bottom of the pot (maybe 1/4" deep or 1/2 cup, depending on the size of your crockpot. Leave the beef in one large piece or trim it to fit into the pot and put the trimmings in the bottom and the large piece on top. Cover with a lid and cook on med-high 8 to 10 hours or overnight.
Pull meat apart with a fork and mixed with juices and seasonings. Serve warm on a bun of choice and condiments of your choosing.
This is It. Beef.......not a sloppy joe.

 

[shpj4]

Jayco welcome to DC. We have a lot of restaurants in Southern California who serve Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches.

I have been to 2 or 3 and they were all delicious.

 

[Michelemarie]

I recipe my family make (I have not made this as of yet) is a rump roast in the crock pot with one large jar of giardanara (drained of oil). Cook on low for 8-10 hours - the beef shreds by itself - serve on crusty rolls. Again, I have not had it - but my family is italian and we live in Chicago, so I take their word for it.

 

[Constance]

I don't use the Italian seasoning packets. I use my own combinations of oregano, basil, chopped onions, garlic, a bit of crushed red pepper, etc. Along with that, I use beef broth rather than beer, and throw in a few hot peppers to the broth. They're just delicious.BC

That's the way I used to do it, BlueCat. I just started using the packets because it's easier and dependable.

To your recipe, I would add a bay leaf, a generous pinch of thyme, and perhaps a pinch of rosemary.

 

[ncage1974]

i have a pretty good recipe.....

This recipe is my own. I pretty much came up with it. My ex live in chicago all her life and she loves mine chicago style beef sandwiches. We had resteruants that opened around my area called "Chicago style" and mine kill it. It is pretty simple too. One thing i would never use is a crock pot. I Just don't think it taste good.

OK this is what i do. I get a relatively lean beef roast 4-6 pounds. I puncture the meat all over and insert garlic cloves in it. I sear it on all sides in a skillet with oil and season with salt and pepper.

I then take a flat dish and pur about 2-3 cans of beef broth/stock in it. You can either add a dark beer or not. Sometimes i do sometimes i don't. I then add oregeno, salt, pepper, and italian seasonings. Cook this in the oven uncovered at a relatively low temperature (250). Cook the meat till it has an internal temperature of 135-140. I don't know exactly how long this takes because i just use a electic meat thermometer that is in the meat the entire cooking time. You want the meat to be medium rare. Do not go over this temperature or your meat will dry out. Now time to cool. Put the meat into the refrigerator after it cool with the juices. The next day heat the beef broth to where its just slightly warm (do not boil this will overcook the meat). Slice the meat very thin with a meat slicer and throw it in the warm beef broth and let it warm threw (5) minutes. Serve on crusty rolls with either Gardeniera or sliced cherry peppers. My ex used to dip her sandwich in the broth. I like mine dry because i think it makes if fall apart. But i think you will agree this is one of the best italian subs you can get anywhere.

Common mistakes:
Trying to slice the meat before its cooled. If you do this the meat will fall apart. I like my sliced thin like authentic sandwiches. If you like it shredded then go ahead.

Overcooking the meat - it will curl especially if you overcook it in the beef broth and it will be rubbery.

 

[jayco]

Thanks everybody. Here's what I did.

Thanks everybody for your replys. Here's what I did:

I seasoned up a top round roast really good with Italian seasoning and some extra oregano, salt, pepper and garlic and roasted it to medium rare.

Roasting was against my better judgement but that's what the recipe I used said to do.

After the roast cooled down I sliced it as thin as I could and marinated the slices overnight in beef stock. Real beef stock not from a can or box!

The next day I made up the sandwich on a baguette with the heated up beef slices and some roasted red peppers and used the stock as a dip.

It was really good but not that exceptional in my opinion. Maybe I just had the sandwich built up in my mind beyond it's capabilities. Or maybe I should just order the real stuff from Chicago and see if I was even close.

Thanks again,

 

[Michelemarie]

I say go for it - you won't be disappointed.

 

[Candocook]

Mine is similar to Michele's but I use a jar of hot 'n sweet pepper rings and a rump roast or other "pot" roast cut of beef. Cook on low for 8-12 hours, pull the meat. Served on a hoagie roll with a slice of cheese, all wrapped in foil and heated in the oven to melt the cheese. I don't know it as "Chicago Italian beef" but it sounds like it might be.

 

[CarolZN]

Thanks everybody for your replys. Here's what I did:

I seasoned up a top round roast really good with Italian seasoning and some extra oregano, salt, pepper and garlic and roasted it to medium rare.

Roasting was against my better judgement but that's what the recipe I used said to do.

After the roast cooled down I sliced it as thin as I could and marinated the slices overnight in beef stock. Real beef stock not from a can or box!

The next day I made up the sandwich on a baguette with the heated up beef slices and some roasted red peppers and used the stock as a dip.

It was really good but not that exceptional in my opinion. Maybe I just had the sandwich built up in my mind beyond it's capabilities. Or maybe I should just order the real stuff from Chicago and see if I was even close.

Thanks again,

Jayco,
all I can say is you really need to try an original. They will meet you're original expectations. I believe the secret is in the au jus gravy..... I am originally from Chicago and even ordering on the internet isn't the same as getting one in Chicago. I hope you get a chance to try one.
Carol