“Chicago Italian” Roast Beef
Ingredients
4 lbs. Top or bottom round roast
2 medium Sweet or yellow onions, peeled, halved, sliced about 1/3” thick
1 tbsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. Garlic powder
1 tbsp. Onion powder
1 tbsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tbsp. Basil, dried
1/2 tbsp. Oregano, dried
a big pinch Pepperoncino
2 tbsp. (+/-) Vegetable, canola or sunflower oil, the additional for the peppers
1 tbsp. Tomato paste
6 c. Cold water
4 Beef bullion cubes (2.5 tsp. loose bullion)
1/4 c. Leftover coffee
1 tsp. Balsamic, red wine or cider vinegar
[1 qt. Giardiniera (homemade or store-bought, as preferred)]
2 medium Green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4” strips
16 Italian hoagie rolls (or other sturdy rolls or bread), sliced but still attached.
Directions
• Bring the roast(s)[1] to room temperature (about 30-45 minutes out of the fridge).
• Preheat the oven to 325º F.
• In a bowl, whisk together the dry spices and salt until well mixed. Set aside.
• In a Dutch oven (or other large, heavy oven-safe pot), heat the oil over medium heat until rippling.
• Sprinkle the meat generously with the spice mixture (rub), and massage it into the meat. [2] It should be thick enough to form a layer. (There will be rub leftover. Don’t discard it! We’re adding it to the sauce later.)
• Sear the roast on all sides until a crust is formed. (A sear is achieved when the meat detaches easily from the pan. Do not pull it off the pan!)
• When seared, set the roast aside on a plate, tented with foil.
• Add a bit more oil to the pan, if needed, then add and caramelize the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with about 1 cup of the water, the coffee and vinegar, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.
• Add the remaining water, raise the flame to medium-high cover and bring to a boil.
• When boiling, add the bullion (cubes), cover again, and boil until dissolved.
• Add the remaining spice mixture, the sonions, stir and cook for a few minutes.
• Shut off the flame, and insert a roasting rack in the pan. (You may also set the roast atop quartered potatoes or large chunks of vegetables (carrots, celery, rutabagas, parsnips, etc.))
• Bake the roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes per pound, until an instant-read thermometer reads +/- 135º F (medium rare-medium).[3]
• Remove the pan from the oven, place the roast on a carving board, and refrigerate until well chilled (90 minutes to overnight). This will make it easier to slice.
• Pour the sauce into sealable (quart) container(s), and refrigerate as well.
To serve on a buffet/family style as sandwiches:
• In a slow cooker (Crock Pot™), heat the sauce on high until steaming.
• While “the juice” (sauce) heats, slice the beef against the grain as thinly as possible. A meat slicer is invaluable at this point, but a good carving fork and sharp slicing (carving) knife can do nicely, as well.
• Place the sliced beef on a serving plate or platter, and pour any juices from carving over top.
• Set up on the buffet like this:
◦ Rolls in a linen-lined bread basket;
◦ The sliced beef on the serving platter, with tongs for handling;
◦ The “juice” (sauce) in the slow cooker;
◦ The peppers and Giardiniera, with tongs for serving.
• Dunk the beef in the sauce for about a minute, until reheated and juicy. (Serving additional juice in small cups, if desired.)
• Pile the beef in the roll, top with more juice, the peppers and Giardiniera.
To serve otherwise:
• Dip the sliced beef in the juice for a minute, and plate with some peppers and Giardiniera on the side.
[1] In the development of this recipe, I used two 2 lb. roasts. That’s all that the meat department had on hand! You can use two or one. Adjust accordingly when searing.
[2] For once, we’re not patting the meat dry with paper towels! The rub needs the moisture to stick to the meat and form a crust.
[3] The meat cooks a bit more later on, so don’t worry if you aren’t fond of medium-rare beef.
Do not under any circumstances leave the beef to soak in the juice for more than 10 minutes! Odd as it may sound, it will curl up and dry out, becoming tough enough to re-sole dress shoes!
My version of a Chicago classic: spicy, juicy, messy and delicious! I ramped it up a bit with a few classic Davis-isms.
If serving as sandwiches (great for football parties!), be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand! These babies DRIP.
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