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Cast Iron Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

By Russell Selander

Published on July 6, 2017

Time

55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Cast Iron Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients

2 cups giardiniera pickled vegetables, plus 1 tablespoon brine¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 ½ pounds shaved steak 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil ¼ cup finely chopped onion 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 2 cups beef broth 4 (8-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise and toasted

Before You Begin

You can find shaved steak in the meat section of your grocery store; do not use packaged frozen shaved steak.

Instructions

  1. Pulse giardiniera, mayonnaise, and pepper flakes in food processor until finely ground, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer to bowl and set aside.
  2. Season beef with garlic powder and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until just smoking. Add half of beef, break up any clumps, and cook, without stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir beef and continue to cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef; transfer to bowl.
  3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in oregano, garlic, and flour and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in broth and brine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1 cup, 6 to 8 minutes.
  4. Off heat, stir beef and any accumulated juices into jus and let sit until heated through, about 1 minute. Spread giardiniera mixture on rolls, then top with beef. Serve, passing remaining jus separately.
Cast Iron Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches
Photography by Keller + Keller.

Cast Iron Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Headshot of Russell Selander
By Russell Selander
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Time

55 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups giardiniera pickled vegetables, plus 1 tablespoon brine
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ pounds shaved steak
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
4 (8-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise and toasted

Ingredients

2 cups giardiniera pickled vegetables, plus 1 tablespoon brine
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ pounds shaved steak
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
4 (8-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise and toasted

Ingredients

2 cups giardiniera pickled vegetables, plus 1 tablespoon brine
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ pounds shaved steak
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
4 (8-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise and toasted

Why This Recipe Works

At first glance, the spicy Italian beef sandwich that is popular in Chicago looks similar to a French dip sandwich, but this midwestern favorite takes the flavors to another level. Not only is the Chicago-style smothered in the flavorful beef jus, the meat is topped with spicy pickled vegetables, called giardiniera, which add a delicious tangy bite to the rich beef. Typical Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich recipes call for using leftover roast beef, but sometimes we crave this hearty sandwich when we don't have any roast beef on hand. To get our sandwich fix fast, we turned to shaved steak, which generally comes from a tougher cut of meat such as top round that turns tender when cut extra-thin. We tossed these paper-thin slices of meat with a combination of garlic powder and pepper to mimic the slow-cooked flavors of an actual beef roast. Using a cast-iron skillet was crucial: The heat retention of the pan ensured that it stayed hot when we added the beef, allowing us to get great browning quickly without overcooking the delicate slices of meat. After searing the meat, we made a quick jus in the same pan using a combination of beef broth, aromatics, and herbs. We included a touch of flour, which gave the jus some extra clinging power. To finish the beef, we tossed it back into the jus to reheat it and meld all the flavors. For an authentic giardiniera topping, we chopped the pickled vegetables quickly in a food processor with a little mayonnaise and some red pepper flakes, which made a cohesive spread for our sandwiches and gave us the classic Chicago-style flavor.

Before You Begin

You can find shaved steak in the meat section of your grocery store; do not use packaged frozen shaved steak.

Instructions

  1. Pulse giardiniera, mayonnaise, and pepper flakes in food processor until finely ground, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer to bowl and set aside.
  2. Season beef with garlic powder and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until just smoking. Add half of beef, break up any clumps, and cook, without stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir beef and continue to cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef; transfer to bowl.
  3. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in oregano, garlic, and flour and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in broth and brine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1 cup, 6 to 8 minutes.
  4. Off heat, stir beef and any accumulated juices into jus and let sit until heated through, about 1 minute. Spread giardiniera mixture on rolls, then top with beef. Serve, passing remaining jus separately.

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MidwestCast-Iron SkilletSandwichesUS & CanadaMeatMain CoursesBeef
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