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Detroit chili? Chicagoan thinking Italian Beef now...

disabled-Large Marge
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
800px-ItalianBeef.jpg
<p />Man the dog looked good- How about some Italian Beef to go with it? That's the Chicago way...unfortunately I'm in Atlanta now and very few spots to pick this up. So I do it at home and with the **new** egg I've found the beef is that much more tender and flavorful. Here goes:[p]Season heavily a 4 to 5 lb sirloin tip roast with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme- just cover the sucker. Place on a rack in your egg preheated to 375 indirect with drip pan- you want to save the drippings. Roast until your thermometer reads 130 in the center- perfect rare/med rare, you want it tender. Remove and allow to cool. I like to wrap the meat at this point and refrigerate overnight so it slices better. Be sure to deglaze the drip pan with a little water and save all the drippings and broth you've created.[p]When ready to slice, fry up 3 tbs olive oil, 6 cloves sliced garlic, 2 green peppers and 2 red peppers (cored and sliced into 1 inch strips), 2 sliced med yellow onions. Saute all this for 5 mins and add to a large stockpot. Add the drippings / broth from the beef.[p]If you have a meat slicer you're golden-- take your roast and slice it as thinly as you can. An electric knife will do the job too or carve away if you can do it thin! Place all the sliced meat and any new juices into the pot.[p]Add 2-3 cups beef stock, 1.5-2cups chicken stock, 1/2 cup dry white wine, and a bunch of chopped fresh parsely. Bring to a simmer and cook an hour + 10 mins or so. The meat should be fully cooked through and really tender. Add salt and pepper toward the end to taste- turn everything off and let it rest (overnight is fantastic if you have the patience - but it still tastes great immediately and you'll have plenty left over to see how tender it gets overnight). [p]If you live up north and can get good Italian sandwich rolls, go for it. Down here I settle for a good fresh French bread cut up. Dip the bread in the broth and pile it on with meat, peppers, etc. A good jar of hot giardinera (yet another Midwest purchase packed in oil, tough to find down here!), or roasted red peppers goes great.[p]Attached some links since I didn't take pics last time- will do so next time- enjoy![p]

[ul][li]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Beef[/ul]

Comments

  • Large Marge,
    Just had one tonite. Portillo's though, not Johnnie's or Al's.

  • Portillos?? Now I'm getting jealous!! Although my wife swears by the home-cooked version- she loves how much gravy is made

  • T-Que
    T-Que Posts: 44
    Large Marge,
    You are my hero. If this turns out half as good as it looks I'll be happy. My last two attempts at a Chicago Beef were..let's say, NOT too good!! I will definitely try this ASAP. Being a fellow Atlantian...where do you get your French bread? Publix or have you found a well kept secret? I live in Marietta if that secret is in the north west part...[p]Thanks and God Bless you folks from Chicago. You sure know how to eat, Hot dogs, Beef, Lowry's Prime Rib and good blues to boot!!!

  • T-Que- Publix for the bread, it suits me fine but I know there are some good bakeries around here. Any tough, white non-sourdough roll will do. I've found Mike's Chicago Hot Dogs on Roswell in Sandy Springs to be pretty darn close to an authentic Chicago dog spot. Looks, smells, and eats just like it! Mike has decent beef there. I've heard there's another Chicagoan in Alpharetta with a dog/beef place off 400 but haven't gone yet and can't remember the name (any help?) Regards...Marge
  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
    Large Marge,
    best one i have found in atlanta is right behind the big chicken off cobb right before you go under 575.. forget the name but i go there everytime i can get there....[p]
    happy eggin
    tb

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

  • JW
    JW Posts: 10
    Large Marge,[p]Bobby G's Chicago deli. Windward exit off 400 go to Morris road turn right it is on the left at the first stop sign. I am here from Rockford, Il. for about 18 years now. Can't wait to try the recipe. Bobby sells the Giardineres as well both hot and mild.I do lunch there about once a week. Great beef and pizza.
    JW

  • dhuffjr
    dhuffjr Posts: 3,182
    Large Marge,
    Looks good. My sisters first husband is from Chicago. She made a version in the crock pot. She lets it cook overnight. I've made it a couple of times. She put a beer in it but seeing that I don't drink I didn't have one so I skipped it.[p]I just put the kitchen cabinet in seasoning wise and through in various packages of beef that I had been buying at the discounted meat bin (sell it quick) and let it all cook. I found that the meat cooked long enough falls apart like the adobo chicken does but without the vinegar.[p]Gonna have to try this one sometime.[p]H

  • Large Marge,[p]I gotta try one of these. I am close to Philly curious which I'll prefer Philly cheese steak or Chicago Beef. We had a plant in Chicago that been closes for many years.I sort of remember having one but my memory needs refreshing.
  • T-Que
    T-Que Posts: 44
    Large Marge,
    There is a Vienna Beef sign in a hot dog place I just recently saw near Town Center Mall in Kennesaw on Barrett Parkway. It's in the shopping center west of I-75 in the Play-It-Again Sports and DSW strip mall. Also one in Woodstock on the mainstreet in town. I have not tried either but with Christams near I am sure I will be by teh mall at least once. A good Chicago Dog might bring out some Christmas Cheer...
    T-Que

  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
    Large Marge,
    That sandwich looks so good! I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and Italian beef was pretty much a weekly staple. Luckily we have a Luke's Italian beef here in Tucson, their roots are in downtown Chicago so it's as authentic as it gets. I've tried to duplicate it at home but have never nailed it. -RP

  • BigT
    BigT Posts: 385
    Large Marge,[p]I just started two- one top round and one rump roast.[p]Top round just s&p; for the rump roast I slathered on some deli mustard mixed with horseradish.[p]Looking forward to dinner tomorrow![p]Big T

  • TomM24- Cheesesteaks are wonderful but sinful! sauteed beef on a flat grill with oil, cheese and man o man...The best thing about the Chicago sandwich is that its roasted and then stewed- the only "badness" is in the fat on the meat, how much bread you consume (unfortunately a lot since the broth is so darn good), and any cheese you may sprinkle on top. Of course, its hard to pass up the traditional crinkle fries you get in Chi-town, maybe a fully leaded Coke to wash it all down...now you're talkin some calories.[p]Man I'm hungry.[p]Marge

  • JW- thanks much for the name! I've heard Bobby G's is good and he's a cranky old Chicagoan- will have to go as soon as I get back from xmas.[p]Good luck with the recipe, Its hard to screw up and makes so much food it is often a big hit at parties.[p]Marge

  • BigT
    BigT Posts: 385
    Large Marge,[p]Xmas travails got in the way of my Italian beef experiment, so I've just been making shaved roast beef sandwiches cold with horseradish and provolone on crusty hamburger buns.[p]Not bad as an alternative, but I can't wait to try the real deal.[p]Big T

  • Big T- there's a "cheater" method my best friend's Italian mom uses in Chicago with deli roast beef- skip the roasting of the meat, just put your shaved deli meat in the pot and fry some peppers & onions in olive oil, add it plus the chix and beef stock to the pot and stew...you'll need to season the stock more- mix up oregano, thyme, black pepper, maybe some basil, then salt at the end of the cook to flavor up the broth. My wife complains its nowhere near as good as the homemade roast but for a quick n dirty method this is pretty good... happy holidays...
  • ooh- don't forget some sliced garlic in the peppers and onions - big ingredient... nothing smells better in the kitchen than onions and garlic sauteeing in olive oil...then throw on the peppers and then into the stew...happy cooking