Italian Beef N Beer Recipes

PORTILLO'S ITALIAN BEEF HACK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Render the beef fat by chopping it into small bits (about the size of peas) with a food processor. Be sure the fat is very cold--it will chop better. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the fat by hand. Use a sharp knife and cut it as small as you can. Heat up the fat in a sauté pan over medium heat until the bits are browned. Strain the solids from the fat and measure 1/4 cup of fat for the gravy.
• Make the beef gravy by combining all of the ingredients, including the beef fat, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the mixture begins to boil reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low.
• Make the sandwiches by heating up the rolls in the hot oven for 3 minutes.
• For each sandwich, drop 1/4 pound of sliced beef (separate the slices) into the gravy for 2 minutes. Make sure the gravy isn't boiling. It should be around 180 degrees F. After the beef has soaked in the gravy, use tongs to arrange the beef on a warmed sandwich roll and top with your choice of hot giardiniera or sweet peppers. Or both. Spoon on some extra gravy just before serving.

OUR FAVORITE ITALIAN BEEF

Steps:

• put roast in crockpot, season lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• add seasoning mixes, beer, and both peppers w/juices.
• if there is no liquid covering entire roast, add enough to just cover top of the roast.
• cook in crockpot, on low, for a minimum of 8 hours.
• remove roast from crockpot, allow to cool to touch.
• "pick"meat, seperate and remove the fat, the roast should just fall apart into pieces.
• put meat back into crockpot, cook an additional 6-8 hours.
• i usually cook this the first 8 hours the day before i want to serve this, then the additional cooking is done the day i want to serve it.