CHICAGO-STYLE ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES

My husband, son, daughter, and I lived in Chicago for 2 years. I always loved their Italian Beef Sandwiches. This is my version of this delicious sandwich. I roasted the bell peppers under the broiler for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan, after 10 minutes. You can buy roasted bell peppers in a jar. I think you will love my recipe for homemade Italian Giardiniera Salad. Make the Italian Giardiniera Salad at least two days before you make the sandwiches. Roast the beef the day before you make the sandwiches.

I prefer dipping the end of the sandwich into the beef broth as your enjoy your sandwich.  Some people drag the bottom through the beef broth in a pan and wrap up the sandwich, but for me, it gets too soggy.

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 lb rump or bottom round roast

1 t fresh or freeze-dried oregano

1 t garlic powder

½ t red pepper flakes
1 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 qt beef broth

Italian Giardiniera Salad (my recipe is in this blog)

Roasted bell peppers, in a jar or your own roasted

Crusty Italian bread, cut into 6 to 8-inch lengths, and cut in half, lengthwise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place sliced onion on the bottom of a roasting pan.

Place roast on top and season with oregano, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.

Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes.

Pour beef broth in the bottom of the roasting pan and continue to roast for another 20 minutes.

The temperature of beef should register 130 F degrees for rare and 135 F degrees for medium-rare with an instant-read thermometer.

Remove from oven and place roast on a platter to cool.

Scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the pan and pour the beef broth through a strainer into a heatproof container. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Place roast in a large container and refrigerate for 24 hours.

The next day that you want to make the sandwiches, remove roast and broth from the refrigerator.

Pour broth in a saucepan and heat to just below boiling; keep warm.

Thinly slice enough beef, for your sandwiches.

Using tongs, dip enough of the beef into the beef broth and then place on the bottom half of each sandwich.

Add a spoonful of giardiniera and a few roasted peppers.

Add top of bread and add a small bowl of the broth to each plate for dipping.

MUSSELS WITH GARLIC & WHITE WINE

This is a delicious and simple recipe to make. You won't find it better in any restaurant. Buy the best and freshest mussels you can find which makes all the difference.

Lee's Kitchen Tips: 

Ask your fishmonger if your mussels are wild or cultivated. If they are wild, make sure they have beards attached. Do not remove beards until just before cooking. Removing the beards causes the mussels to slowly die. Wild mussels have a slightly stronger flavor. Cultivated mussels do not have any noticeable beards and have a more delicate taste. 

2 lbs fresh mussels, beards attached

2 T unsalted butter

2 T avocado oil

2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine or white vermouth

1 t fresh thyme leaves or ½ t dried thyme

½ t red pepper flakes (optional)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T chopped Italian parsley

Lemon wedges, for serving

Crusty Italian bread

Scrub the mussels with a brush under cold running water. 
Place in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large heavy pot, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. 
Add shallots or onion and sauté for 5 minutes.                                                                  
Add garlic and sauté another minute. 
Add the thyme, and red pepper flakes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the wine and bring to a boil. 

Remove mussels from the refrigerator and using "kitchen-only" pliers, remove beards.
Add mussels to the pot, cover, reduce heat and simmer until shells open, about 5 to 6 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.

Ladle into a warm serving bowl or two smaller warm bowls and garnish with parsley.

Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread for dipping.

Serves 2