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Homemade Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Seared beef, slow-cooked whole in a garlicky pepperoncini jus until it's fall-apart tender, then shredded and simmered back in the jus to soak up even more flavor — piled onto a toasted roll for the classic Chicago sandwich, wet, dipped, or dry, your call.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Resting Time 10 minutes
Servings: 7 sandwiches
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

The Beef
  • 3-4 lb bottom round roast (or rump roast) trimmed of excess surface fat
The Jus (Gravy) & Spices
  • 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
  • 1/2 cup pepperoncini brine poured straight from the jar
  • 6-8 whole pepperoncini peppers
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder divided — some for seasoning the roast, the rest for the jus
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes adjust for heat preference
  • 1 tsp coarse salt divided — some for seasoning the roast, the rest for the jus
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper divided — some for seasoning the roast, the rest for the jus
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds cracked or roughly chopped; optional, for bakery authenticity
  • 1 splash Worcestershire sauce
For Serving
  • 6-8 high-quality, crusty French rolls (or sausage rolls) Turano or Gonnella are the traditional pick, but any good roll works — try buttering and toasting them for a little crunch against the jus
  • 1 jar Chicago-style hot or mild giardiniera packed in oil; Marconi is my favorite brand — it's chopped smaller so it sits on the sandwich better and packs more punch, but use what you can find
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced and sautéed in olive oil; optional, for "sweet" style
  • sliced provolone cheese optional — a debatable but completely acceptable addition

Equipment

  • 7-Quart Cuisinart Multicooker sears right in the pot before switching to slow cook — mine's an older discontinued model, the current version is the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Cook Central 6-Quart Multicooker (see Products I Use); a heavy, deep oven-safe pot also works
  • Two Forks for shredding
  • Ladle

Method
 

Sear the Beef & Build the Jus
  1. Pat the roast dry and season it generously on all sides with salt, pepper, and about half the garlic powder.
  2. Heat a splash of oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned, about 3 minutes per side.
  3. In a 6-quart slow cooker (or a heavy, deep oven-safe pot), whisk together the beef broth, Better Than Bouillon, pepperoncini brine, oregano, the remaining garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, and Worcestershire sauce until dissolved. Drop in the whole pepperoncini peppers, then nestle the seared roast into the liquid, keeping it whole.
Cook and Shred
  1. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours if you're short on time), until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily. Oven method: cover tightly and bake at 275°F for 3 to 4 hours.
  2. Remove the roast from the jus and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then shred it into large, rustic pieces — don't shred it too fine, bigger pieces hold up better and give a nicer bite. Return the shredded beef to the jus to soak up more flavor.
Assemble the Sandwiches
  1. Split and butter the rolls, then toast them cut-side down in a skillet or under the broiler until golden. Toasting first keeps the bread from turning to mush once the jus hits it, so you still get a little crunch underneath.
  2. Pile a generous amount of beef onto each roll with tongs. For juicy: spoon extra hot jus directly over the meat. For dipped: use tongs to submerge the whole assembled sandwich in the pot of jus for about 2 seconds. Top with giardiniera, sautéed sweet peppers, and/or provolone, and serve right away.

Notes

This version comes out beautifully shredded rather than sliced — the beef gets so tender after a long simmer in the jus that it falls apart when you pull it out, and honestly, the shredded pieces hold onto all that garlicky jus even better than a slice would.
Any good French roll or sausage roll works here, even though it's not traditional. I like mine buttered and toasted so they hold a little crunch against all that jus instead of turning to mush.
For the giardiniera, Marconi is my brand of choice — it's chopped smaller, so it sits on the sandwich better and packs more punch than some other brands, but use whatever you can find.
Provolone on an Italian beef is debatable in Chicago circles, but it's a completely acceptable addition as far as I'm concerned.
Makes 6 to 8 sandwiches, depending on how much beef you pile on and how big your rolls are.
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