Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches
By Bryan RoofPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
3¼ hours, plus 9 hours cooling and chilling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Time
3¼ hours, plus 9 hours cooling and chillingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
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.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
0 Comments