These Chicago style Italian beef sandwiches are so easy, and only require easily acquirable ingredients. Even outside of Chicago, these can certainly be added to your regular rotation of weeknight meals. We both love these sandwiches not only because they are delicious, but because they represent Chicago cuisine.
This recipe is a little different from others on Craft & Process, in that is is a little less than 100% homemade ingredients. It falls more into the easy weeknight dinner category. Sometimes these recipes are so valuable and get us through the week, or are a great solution to hosting company on a weeknight.
The ingredients are no more complicated than a loaf of French bread, thinly sliced deli roast beef, and giardiniera and/or roasted sliced bell peppers. When you ask for sliced roast beef at a Chicago grocery deli, most of the time they will ask if you want that with juice. If you are making beef sandwiches, ALWAYS say yes. That juice is the lifeblood of a Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich. The Chicago delis will automatically slice the roast beef to the proper thinness, but if you are outside Chicago, just ask for paper thin slices.
If your non-Chicago deli doesn’t have the beef juice on hand, you can just use beef stock, or beef bouillon, and then add spices before heating the roast beef. It is just as delicious, and you actually have a little more control over the spices and heat level.
That juice isn’t just for the meat. The other essential variable in a Chicago Italian beef sandwich is the juiciness of the bread. The amount of juice poured on the bread is totally up to personal preference, of course, but the right answer is enough juice that the sandwich just barely holds together. Aa few large spoonfuls on each side of the bread should do it, though many people go so far as to just dunk the entire sandwich into the juice.
Of course, you could make all the ingredients from scratch: bake your own baguette, roast your own beef and peppers, and make your own giardiniera. It would probably be the best beef sandwich ever, but it would be super hard to slice the beef thin enough. Unless you have a deli-slicer in your kitchen (in which case, WHY do you have a deli-slicer in your kitchen?!), it will be easier to buy roast beef from the local grocery.
We would recommend making your own giardiniera, however. Shameless self-promotion: as a matter of fact, you can find the recipe here at C&P! It is a simple quick pickle, and an essential ingredient for a Chicago Italian beef sandwich.
Besides giardiniera, a common and delicious topping for Chicago Italian beef sandwiches is sliced roasted bell peppers. These can easily be roasted at home ahead of time. Just roast the whole peppers on a baking sheet at 450 for 20 minutes, or until soft. Let them cool, remove the seeds and stem, and slice and store in a container in the fridge.
- 1 lb thinly sliced roast beef
- 2 pints beef stock or juice
- 1 French baguette
- ½ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp oregano
- ¼ crushed red pepper to taste
- ¼ tsp peppercorns
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Giardiniera optional
- roasted bell peppers, sliced optional
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Slice baguette into quarters, then slice each piece open horizontally, like a clamshell. Set aside.
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Add spices and garlic to the stock or juice and heat in a medium saucepan until very warmed but not boiling. Salt to taste. You can steep the spices in the warm broth for 10-15 minutes if desired (only really necessary if your broth isn’t already spiced).
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Add sliced roast beef to the warm stock and heat for 2-5 minutes. Don’t overcook the beef, or else it will get tough.
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Top each sandwich with a ¼ lb of beef and spoon stock over the sandwich to soften and moisten the bread.
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Top the beef sandwich with giardiniera or sliced roasted bell peppers.