Easy Italian Beef Sandwiches ala ~DKBB~

 Easy Italian Beef Sandwiches ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.tasteofhome.com)

 
1 3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground pepper
¼ c. water
½ 16 oz. jar sliced mild (or hot) pepperoncini, undrained
½ 16 oz. jar hot giardiniera, undrained (you can cut up these veggies a bit)
½ 8 oz. jar Italian pickled garlic, drained (optional)
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1 medium green pepper, julienned
1 large clove fresh garlic, minced
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Buns for serving (ciabatta buns, hoagie buns, or a full loaf of Italian bread)

• Cut roast in half, place both halves in 5-qt. slow cooker; sprinkle evenly with Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, and ground pepper; add ¼ cup water to bottom of cooker; cook on high for 4 hours (until meat is tender).
• Remove both halves of the roast and shred the meat well (using either two forks or two meat claws); return shredded meat to slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, combine the pepperoncini, giardiniera, pickled garlic (optional), red and green peppers, minced fresh garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and onion soup mix; pour this over the meat in the slow cooker and cook for another hour on high (until peppers are tender).
• If you want grilled buns, prepare them as desired.
• Serve the shredded meat mixture over buns/as sandwiches using a slotted spoon (or tongs) to drain off the liquid.
• If using a full loaf of Italian bread, cut it in half lengthwise, spoon beef mixture over bottom half, replace top half, and cut into 6 sandwiches.

Madame Audier's Roast ala ~DKBB~

Madame Audier’s Roast ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Madame Helen Audier, French and World History

Cody High School teacher, mentor, and friend extraordinaire)

1 4-to-5 lb. beef roast
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Veggies if desired (potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, cabbage*)

The secret to this scrumptious roast is the slow roasting; cooking time is 4 to 6 hours. Preheat oven to 260° F.

• Stab the meat randomly and insert garlic slices (do this on both/all sides of the roast).
• Salt and pepper all surfaces of the roast.
• Place the prepared roast in a roasting pan and put in oven uncovered.
• After 1½ hours, check the roast and adjust the temperature if needed (a larger roast may need a bit hotter oven – 275° F); add 1 cup water; cover and return to oven.
• Check hourly, adding water as needed.
• If you want to roast veggies with it, add them at least 2 hours before you expect the roast to be done). *Add the cabbage (if desired) about 1 hour (or less) before you expect the roast to be done.
• You can add cornstarch mixed with cold water to thicken the juice for gravy if desired, or just use the au jus as is.

Way back in the day, Madame used to make several of these roasts each year for basketball and/or wrestling districts in Cody, and the Broncettes pep club members would use them to make roast beef sandwiches to sell in the concession stand. I can remember coaches telling me they looked forward to districts in Cody because of Madame’s roast beef sandwiches. When I got married, Madame asked me what I would like for a wedding gift – I told her I wanted her roast beef recipe and her lemon meringue pie recipe (those pies were always the first to sell at the Broncette bake sales…for $10 each in the 1970s, they were THAT good!). She was kind enough to grant my wish (though it did take me about a year to decipher her handwriting…). The smell of this roast cooking all day fills the house and evokes Madame for me…it is one of my favorite dishes because of that.