As we arrived in Chicago I couldn't help but think about what spin I could put on our delicious mac n' cheese to really grasp the local flavor. Everyone knows about the Chicago style hotdog (more on that later) but I wanted something lesser known, something coveted. Thats when I heard of this specialty known as the Italian Beef sandwich. Quite simple in its construction, thinly sliced beef with giardiniera on an Italian style hoagie bun dipped in jus. After trying one for myself I knew this was what I was after.
While at the grocery find the deli counter and tell them you want a pound of good roast beef. You are looking for the roast beef that is pink in the middle, medium rare, not grey/brown. This should be enough to top a party size tray of mac n' cheese. If you are anything like me and you eat half of it while you are fussing around in the kitchen get more than a pound. Have them slice it very thin but not shaved. Pick up some quality beef broth too, a low sodium variety. If you want to go All-Star with the flavor skip the broth and head into the meat department and get a heap of beef scraps: stewing strips, shin, oxtail, meaty soup bones, neck bones, whatever is cheap. You will need this to make your own jus. Now to find the giardiniera, it will be by the pickled vegetables. You are looking for a combination of peppers, onions, olives, and vegetables in oil not vinegar. You may want to try the salad/olive bar too. With your roast beef and giardiniera in hand its time to get to cooking! At home put the stock on a low simmer. You are looking to reduce it by half. This is why you need a high quality stock. If you were to reduce a lower quality stock by half it would become much too salty. Once the stock is simmering add a couple cloves, three or four bay leaf (this is the main flavor here so don't be shy), and a teaspoon of black pepper corns. If you want to make your own stock season all the meaty scraps and put them into a pan ontop of some chopped carrot, celery and onions. Set this pan in a hot oven >400° and keep an eye on it! You are looking for deep brown with a little black on the edges not mostly black with some brown spots. You may need to do this in batches or toss the pieces around a bit periodically so all surfaces have a chance to brown. Once complete turn the contents of the pan into a pot being certain to scrape all the goodies stuck to the bottom of the pan into the pot. Cover with water by a couple inches, add the aforementioned spices and set to simmer for four hours or so. Now its time to address the surplus roast beef in the fridge :) Once the jus is ready take the remaining roast beef and dunk it in the hot broth to absorb all the flavor and warm through. Once heated top the mac n' cheese with the beef, giardiniera, and a few spoonfuls of jus.
Since you have gone to all the trouble of finding the giardiniera and making the jus try a sandwich! Same as above, dunk the meat, stack it on a hoagie roll with the giardiniera, close it up and dunk the whole sandwich making certain to leave it submerged for a couple seconds so the bread soaks up that liquid love. Your mouth will be happy, the front of your shirt will not.
