Chicago-Style Italian Beef

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1 Sprinkle roast evenly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat. Sear roast on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker and top with peppers. Add 1/2 cup stock to skillet, stirring to release browned bits from bottom of pan; transfer to slow cooker.
• 2 Add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, vinegar and remaining beef stock to slow cooker. Cover.
• 3 Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH.
• 4 Meanwhile, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl with wire whisk; set aside. Remove roast from slow cooker. Stir cornstarch mixture into au jus. Cover and cook 30 minutes on HIGH.
• 5 Slice beef into thin strips across the grain. Return beef to au jus in slow cooker. Serve beef and peppers on toasted Italian roll or baguette with au jus on the side for dipping.
• 6 Test Kitchen Tip: The Italian Beef is a sandwich native to Chicago. Similar to the French Dip, it’s typically made with thinly sliced seasoned roast beef, served on a crusty Italian-style roll, and then “dipped” or completely dunked in au jus. It can be served “sweet” topped with grilled peppers, or “hot” topped with Giardiniera, an Italian blend of pickled peppers and vegetables.
  
  To prepare Italian Beef in the oven, season and sear roast as directed in 12-inch deep oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven. Remove roast from pan. Add 1 cup chopped onion to pan; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in Italian Seasoning and garlic powder; cook 1 minute. Add 3 1/2 cups beef broth, stirring to remove any browned bits from bottom of pan. Return roast to pan, along with any juices. Cover. Transfer skillet to preheated 300°F oven. Braise 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning every 30 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 200°F and beef is tender. Meanwhile, cut peppers in half and removed seeds and stems. Place on small sheet pan, skin side-up. Roast alongside beef, for last hour of cooking. Allow roast to rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin pieces. Slice roasted peppers into strips. Place beef and peppers in au jus. Spoon au jus over cut-sides of rolls. Layer rolls with meat and peppers; add desired toppings. Serve as directed above.