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italian beef -- fantastico

(9 ratings)
SidEFied avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Gary Hancq
@SidEFied
Port Byron, IL

Family and friends tell me this beats the Best of the Best of those served in the Chicagoland/Suburban Area. And I'm always asked "Where's the Beef"? Warm up the Crock Pot. I gleaned this from my house cleaner Carol H.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This is such a tender and tasty meat!  I substituted a can of beer for one of the cans of beef broth as Gary suggests, and it really added to the flavor. We opted to cool the meat in the fridge overnight which made it very easy to slice and serve. When it came time for sandwich assembly I chose a delicious roll from my grocer’s bakery and added a layer of cheese.  Very enjoyable!

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
►
(9 ratings)
yield 8 to 10 Sandwiches
prep time 40 Min
cook time 5 Hr
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot

Ingredients For italian beef -- fantastico

  • 3 to 4 lb
    beef roast -- top or bottom round, rump or eye of round
  • 3 can
    beef broth or to cover
  • 1 pkg
    dry italian salad dressing mix (good seasons original - not the zesty)
  • 3 clove
    garlic fresh or 2 teaspoons powder
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    italian seasoning dry (additional)
  • 1 jar
    pepperoncini peppers whole (small jar) include 1/2 jar of the juice
  • salt and pepper
  • french rolls -- warmed or toasted underside
  • crock pot
  • I PREPARE THIS AT LEAST A DAY AHEAD

How To Make italian beef -- fantastico

  • 1
    Prepare a day or two in advance. Season and rub the roast with the dry Italian Salad Dressing mix.
  • 2
    Place Roast in Crock Pot along with the three cans of Beef Broth to almost cover. You could substitute one can of beer for a can of broth. Top Round and Eye of Round are more tender and will take slightly less cooking time.
  • 3
    Add the small jar of whole Pepperoncini and 1/2 the jar of juice, along with the Garlic and additional dry Italian Seasoning. Six to eight peppers and 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the juice.
  • 4
    Crock Pot for 4 to 6 hours on high, or all day if you have a Crock Pot that automatically adjusts.
  • 5
    When Beef is cooked I remove from juice and refrigerate Roast (to firm up for slicing) and juices overnight. I prefer it sliced but if cooked longer you could shred.
  • 6
    Next morning remove Roast and slice thin. Return to juices, and refrigerate or place Roast and juices back into Crock Pot to warm and serve. I use meat slicer but can almost do as well with a knife.
  • 7
    To show to the extent, I am opinionated -- The only way to serve Italian Beef Sandwiches is on a good, firm full bodied rectangular bread or roll. "Earth Grains" makes my favorite in their "San Francisco Style French Rolls", 6 to a package. Baguettes sliced to 5" length, are a reasonable substitute. A Hamburger Bun or Kaiser Roll will not do it for me.
  • 8
    My favorite accompaniments are "Giardiniera" an Italian condiment of Celery, Onions and Peppers that comes in mild, medium or hot variety. Giardiniera and chopped raw onion make the sandwich for me, along with a small bowl of the juice for dipping. My Better Friends get to take some home. Ciao!
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