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Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

By Bryan Roof

Published on March 3, 2025

Time

3¼ hours, plus 9 hours cooling and chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons pepper 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 onions, quartered2 carrots, halved crosswise1 celery rib, halved crosswise12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled1 tablespoon tomato paste 4 cups water 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon beef bouillon 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon granulated garlic ¼ teaspoon ground allspice ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 6 sprigs fresh thyme 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 8 (7-inch) ciabatta sandwich rolls, hinged1 cup Chicago-style giardiniera, plus extra to taste

Before You Begin

You can make our Chicago-Style Giardiniera or purchase a Chicago-style giardiniera from the grocery store or online. It’s important for the roast to chill completely because it’s far easier to slice thin when it’s cold. Typically, Chicago Italian beef sandwiches are served on local Turano French Rolls, which hold up well to the jus that soaks the bread. In lieu of Turano rolls, we opt for hearty ciabatta rolls. 

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle 1 boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals, all over with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add roast and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer roast to large plate.
  2. Add 2 quartered onions; 2 carrots, halved crosswise; 1 celery rib, halved crosswise; and 12 smashed and peeled garlic cloves to fat left in pot and cook until onions are just softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups water and 2 tablespoons beef bouillon, scraping up any browned bits.
  3. Stir in 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Nestle roast, 6 thyme sprigs, and 2 rosemary sprigs into pot and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until center of roast registers 195 degrees, 2 to 2¼ hours.
  4. Transfer pot to wire rack, remove lid, and let roast and broth cool completely, about 1 hour. Transfer roast to clean plate and cover with plastic wrap. Using slotted spoon, remove onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herb sprigs from broth and discard. Refrigerate roast and broth separately until meat is well chilled, at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours.
  5. Remove twine from roast and slice roast in half lengthwise. Place roast halves on cutting board, flat sides down, and slice each half crosswise as thin as possible.
  6. Heat reserved broth in Dutch oven over medium heat to bare simmer. Add sliced meat and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, divide meat evenly among 8 hinged ciabatta sandwich rolls, then spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons broth over meat to wet each sandwich. Top each sandwich with about 2 tablespoons Chicago-style giardiniera, plus extra to taste. Serve.
Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone Scott.

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

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Time

3¼ hours, plus 9 hours cooling and chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, halved crosswise
1 celery rib, halved crosswise
12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups water
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon beef bouillon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 (7-inch) ciabatta sandwich rolls, hinged
1 cup Chicago-style giardiniera, plus extra to taste

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, halved crosswise
1 celery rib, halved crosswise
12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups water
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon beef bouillon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 (7-inch) ciabatta sandwich rolls, hinged
1 cup Chicago-style giardiniera, plus extra to taste

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, halved crosswise
1 celery rib, halved crosswise
12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups water
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon beef bouillon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
8 (7-inch) ciabatta sandwich rolls, hinged
1 cup Chicago-style giardiniera, plus extra to taste

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Our take on these iconic Windy City sandwiches is inspired by the version at Hofherr Meat Co. in Northfield, Illinois (just north of Chicago). We started with a boneless beef chuck-eye roast, which we browned in a skillet. The braising liquid was built on a foundation of mirepoix, garlic, and tomato paste; this mixture was fortified with beef bouillon, Worcestershire, and and array of herbs and spices. We gently braised the meat until it was tender and then refrigerated it for at least 8 hours to make thin slicing easier. Then we reheated the beef slices in reserved broth and topped each sandwich with giardiniera.

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Before You Begin

You can make our Chicago-Style Giardiniera or purchase a Chicago-style giardiniera from the grocery store or online. It’s important for the roast to chill completely because it’s far easier to slice thin when it’s cold. Typically, Chicago Italian beef sandwiches are served on local Turano French Rolls, which hold up well to the jus that soaks the bread. In lieu of Turano rolls, we opt for hearty ciabatta rolls. 

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle 1 boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals, all over with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add roast and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer roast to large plate.
  2. Add 2 quartered onions; 2 carrots, halved crosswise; 1 celery rib, halved crosswise; and 12 smashed and peeled garlic cloves to fat left in pot and cook until onions are just softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups water and 2 tablespoons beef bouillon, scraping up any browned bits.
  3. Stir in 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Nestle roast, 6 thyme sprigs, and 2 rosemary sprigs into pot and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until center of roast registers 195 degrees, 2 to 2¼ hours.
  4. Transfer pot to wire rack, remove lid, and let roast and broth cool completely, about 1 hour. Transfer roast to clean plate and cover with plastic wrap. Using slotted spoon, remove onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herb sprigs from broth and discard. Refrigerate roast and broth separately until meat is well chilled, at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours.
  5. Remove twine from roast and slice roast in half lengthwise. Place roast halves on cutting board, flat sides down, and slice each half crosswise as thin as possible.
  6. Heat reserved broth in Dutch oven over medium heat to bare simmer. Add sliced meat and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, divide meat evenly among 8 hinged ciabatta sandwich rolls, then spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons broth over meat to wet each sandwich. Top each sandwich with about 2 tablespoons Chicago-style giardiniera, plus extra to taste. Serve.

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