Drip Beef Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

Awwww, Drip beef sandwiches.  

This is my new favorite recipe to stash in the rotation!  I'm a huge fan of French dip sandwiches; I've had one at several different restaurants and I can tell you where some of the best ones are.  I also love a good pot roast.  This recipe is sort of the marriage of the two with a little kick!

First off, this is a Pioneer Woman recipe: I love how she thinks when it comes to food!  (And family:) I can't eat this decadent all the time, but she has amazing down-home recipes for everyday food, or sophisticated fare easy enough for me to make.  Anyway, her husband is a serious cattle rancher and they know their beef!  So I take it from her when she said this drip beef recipe is amazing!

It's slow simmered roast with Italian seasonings, spicy pepperoncinis, and rich beef broth.  Salt and lots of pepper away and it's ready to cook all day, or at least til tender and falling apart.  Shred it up and put the beef back into the savory juices to give it the "drip"!  You can certainly stop there and serve over mashed potatoes or even for a delicious tacos filling, but we made amazing drippy sandwiches!  Pile the beef high on toasted hoagie buns with caramelized onions and provolone cheese and serve with a cup of the drippings (au jus) for a meal worth a standing ovation!  

It's tasty enough for company and easy enough for casual parties.  We're watching the Super Bowl tonight as a family and will eat this with some hot wings and a veggie tray... It smells so good!  I had better get to it! :)

Drip Beef Sandwiches with Carmelized Onions

Slightly Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 1 3-4 lb. Roast (I chose rump roast which is leaner) trimmed of excess fat

• 1 jar whole Pepperoncinis with juice

• 1 can (about 2 cups) Beef broth or stock

• 1 c. Water

• 3 Tbsp. Dried Italian seasoning

• 1 Tbsp. Minced garlic 

• Salt & Pepper

• 2 Tbsp. Butter

• Provolone cheese (mozz or Swiss works too)

• Hoagie rolls, buttered and toasted

Season the roast with salt and pepper.  Melt butter in a cast iron skillet or other heavy pot over high heat.  Sear both sides of roast until browned, about 5 minutes total.  (It will smell divine!)

Put your roast in a crockpot set to Low.  Pour in the broth and water and add the Italian seasonings.  Pour in the pepperoncinis with all the juice and add the garlic with a but more salt and pepper.  

Put the lid on and cook for about 8 hours on low. I turned the roast over half-way through.  (If you're interested, you can cook this in a Dutch oven pot by simmering on the stove for 4-5 hours, but I recommend slow-cooking in the crock pot.)

Remove the cooked roast from pot and shred it all up with two forks.  

Then return the meat back to the cooking liquid.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook your caramelized onions: 

Thinly slice and sauté a whole onion in the leftover butter in the cast iron skillet over medium low heat.  Stir occasionally and cook until onion become translucent, very tender and golden.

To assemble sandwiches, pile toasted  hoagie rolls with shredded beef and a cooked pepperoncini if you like, then a layer caramelized onions and a slice of cheese.  Serve with a small bowl of the au jus dipping sauce on the side.

Serves 6-8

Enjoy hot and delicious!