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This Italian Beef Sandwich is a timeless classic that showcases the deep flavors of tender, slow-cooked beef, perfectly seasoned. This recipe delivers the genuine taste of Chicago’s legendary sandwich straight to your home kitchen!
Why you’ll 🫶🏻 this Sandwich
If you’re craving a delicious and filling meal that captures the essence of Chicago, the remarkable Italian beef sandwich is the perfect choice. Simpler than it seems – making Italian beef sandwiches may appear challenging, but with a little time and a bit of patience, anyone can perfect this dish in their own kitchen. You can adjust the spices and toppings to match your taste. The delicious aromas from your kitchen while you cook will have everyone hurrying to the dinner table, elbows up and ready to dig in! Enjoy! ~Nicole
If you are from the Chicago area, you probably recognize the bad boy in the picture above. The Italian Beef sandwich is a culinary institution in the Second City. Each beef stand has its own method, and thus its own flavor and texture, so everybody seems to have a favorite. I was introduced to the sandwich in my late teens, and after a few years and sampling many variations, I got the familiar voice in my head — “I want to try this at home.” After much searching and recipe tweaking, I struck gold with this process. If you have been transplanted to some other city or country and can’t get it, or if you’re still around and always wanted to try your hand at making succulent, juicy beef yourself, have I got a plan for you!
To help you make your own Italian Beef sandwiches at home, I have included a few step-by-step instructions below.
Equipment Needed
Prepare the rub ingredients, reserving 1 tablespoon of the mixture to season the juice. Massage the rub on all sides of the meat. Allow to rest for 1 hour at room temperature. This ensures the meat cooks evenly.
Roast the meat at 450°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and cook until the internal temperature reaches 130°F-135°F for medium rare. Cooking the meat to medium rare is important for tenderness. The meat will be further cooked by warming it in the juice before assembling the sandwich. Once rested, tightly wrap the roast in double layers of aluminum foil, then plastic wrap, and chill for several hours, preferably overnight. Chilling makes it easier to slice. The meat needs to be sliced as thin as possible, preferably with an electric knife. In fact, I would not even try slicing it by hand. Thick cuts of meat make for a tough sandwich.
Remove the roast from the pan, lightly tent with foil, and set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes; reserve any meat drippings. Meanwhile, deglaze the pan with bouillon cubes (I use Knorr brand), water, reserved seasoning from the rub mixture, and any reserved meat drippings.
*Note- I use bouillon sparingly for seasoning due to the salt content. In this recipe, it is diluted.
Once chilled, slice shave the meat as thin as possible (I cannot stress this enough), preferably with an electric knife, unless you can get your hands on a meat slicer.
*UPDATE- since the original publishing date, I have purchased a meat slicer. Both the electric knife and the meat slicer produce excellent results.
I am talking paper-thin slices, my friends. They don’t have to be uniform, but ultra-thin is key. Electric Knives are fairly inexpensive, so go get one. I use mine all the time for meats and roasts.
Juice and meat can be made a day ahead, and I recommend it highly.
The next day, heat the juice over a low heat and allow the meat to soak for no more than one minute. Otherwise, it becomes tough and chewy. Top your sandwich with a splash of juice, sautéed green peppers if you prefer (we certainly do), and some hot giardiniera. We enjoy Pagliacci Hot Italian Pepper Spread in oil. It’s finely chopped giardinara, ensuring the pieces stay in place with every bite. Add another generous ladle of extra juice, or dip the entire sandwich, then push up your sleeves, elbows up, and dig in. Don’t forget the Easier French Fries!
Source: Adapted from amazingribs.com
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Italian Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Meat
- 1 boneless top sirloin beef roast, about 4 pounds with most of the fat trimmed off and a fat cap tied on
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
For the Juice
- 6 cups of hot water
- 3 cubes of bouillon (1.15 ounces), I use Knorr brand
For the Sandwich
- 1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Hot Italian pepper spread in oil or hot giardiniera
- Italian bread rolls, sliced lengthwise, but not all the way through
Instructions
For the Meat
- In a small bowl, mix together the rub ingredients; reserve 1 tablespoon. Massage the meat on all sides with the rub mixture. Let the meat sit at room temp for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the roast in a roasting pan or oven-proof skillet and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F and cook until the internal temperature is 130°-135°F for medium rare, about 1 ½ hours more. (The meat must be cooked to medium rare, as it will be cooked again in the jus just before placing it in the sandwich.)
- Remove the roast from the pan, lightly tent with foil, and set aside to rest for 20-30 minutes; reserve pan drippings. Tightly wrap in double foil, then in plastic wrap, and refrigerate several hours, preferably overnight. Reserve any accumulated meat drippings for the juice. (Chilling the meat allows for easier slicing.) Once chilled, transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice as thinly as possible, preferably with an electric knife.
For the Jus
- Deglaze the pan or skillet with the water and bouillon over medium heat until the bouillon has dissolved. Add the 1 tablespoon of reserved seasoning and stir to combine; taste for seasoning and add any reserved meat drippings. If you want a more concentrated flavor, reduce the liquid slightly. ( If you want a thinner juice, add a little more water.) Cool the jus to room temperature. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Sandwich
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced peppers and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until they have softened and browned slightly, about 10-12 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and sauté for 5 more minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the juice to a low simmer. Soak the meat in the hot juice for about 1 minute. Do not over soak the meat or it will become tough and chewy.
- To assemble the sandwich, spoon some jus directly onto the roll. Top with the soaked meat followed by the green peppers and giardinera. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A very nice post, will share it with my carnivores!
One of the things I miss most about Chicago–yum! Still trying to come up with a skinny version 😉
It is a top sirloin roast and not a fatty chuck roast. So, it is a little on the skinny side:)
Also, I pinned the recipe on Pinterest so I wouldn't forget about it. That should get you some much deserved traffic. 😀
For the juice, I would not use bouillon, but a good no salt added beef stock and reduce it a bit. That way I could control the salt and avoid the MSG. Otherwise, this looks fantastic.
Telesma-
There is much debate on whether to use bouillon or stock. But since this is a once in a while meal, I prefer the bouillon. You can certainly use what you prefer.
Thank you:)
You are so right. After being down South for these past few months and getting reacquainted with some great food, I was beginning to rethink some old favorites from up North. It will be fun to share this with new our friends. I have always wanted to try this at home, too, but never dared. Thanks for the tutorial. As always, you make it look so-o-o easy and so-o-o delicious. Miss you!
Miss you, too!
I was actually just craving a good Italian beef! Good timing 🙂