Italian Beef

Italian Beef. French Dip. I don't care which country it came from - shreds of beef, crusty bread, and a dipping sauce? I'm a fan. For goodness sake, it was the first meal I ate after I gave birth to my daughter Shelby! A sandwich never tasted so good!!!

No, I am not a proud person. Note the IVs are still hooked up.
Yes, I am a pretty secure person to share this photo with the InterWeb.

It never really occurred to me that I could make this treasure in my own kitchen. This year I've really tried to use our slow cooker. So, I've been on the lookout for different meals to make in it. I found the recipe on Pioneer Woman's food blog. She simmers her chuck roast on the stove. No offense Ree, but I don't have that kind of time! So, I adapted it for the slow cooker.

When you have Italian Beef, it's a special occasion and it calls for special bread. You need a good, hearty sub/hoagie/hero/grinder (depending on where you live in the country) roll. This week I took it a step further and put mozzarella on top and finished the sandwiches in the broiler. It was fantastic!! It tasted just like an sandwich from a restaurant. After we finished dinner, I forgot that we had some roasted red peppers in the fridge! They will be incorporated next time. Italian Beef is one our favorite comfort foods now!


Italian Beef
from Pioneer Woman

■1 whole 2.5 To 4 Pound Chuck Roast
■¼ cups Butter
■1 whole Large Onion, Sliced Thick
■3 cloves Garlic, Peeled
■½ cups Soy Sauce
■1 cup Sherry (cooking Sherry Is Fine)
■½ teaspoons Salt
■4 cups Water
■Toasted, Buttered Deli Rolls
■OPTIONAL: Rosemary, Thyme, Other Spices

Preparation Instructions
Heat butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for a couple of minutes, or until starting to get brown.

In slow cooker, set chuck roast on top of the onions. Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or until beef is fork-tender and falling apart. **If meat is not yet tender, return to oven for 30 minute intervals till it’s tender!** Shred meat with two forks until all large chunks are gone. Serve immediately or continue to simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

*Mixture can be refrigerated overnight. Remove hardened fat from top of pan before reheating.

Serve on top of toasted, buttered deli rolls. Top with cheese and place under the broiler if desired.