Has anyone been following
Food Network Star? I haven't been able to catch many episodes but I did see this recipe for a fancy Italian Beef and since I am a Chicago girl at heart I knew I must give it a try.
Dry-aged Italian Beef Sandwich with Homemade Giardiniera, Sweet Peppers, Suet-Fried Chips and Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients
Beef:
1 top round rump roast, tied with butcher twine in 2-inch increments
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups beef stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Suet-Fried Chips:
3 cups rendered beef suet
6 russet potatoes, scrubbed, skin-on
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
Sweet Peppers:
5 green bell peppers, cut into large strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
Salt
Broccoli Rabe:
4 ounces fatback, diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
3 heads broccoli rabe, stems trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 soft Italian rolls
Homemade Giardiniera, recipe follows
Directions
For the beef: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt and pepper. In a heavy-bottomed roasting pan over high heat, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Add the roast and sear all sides until a golden crust forms, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside on a sheet tray. Add the garlic, onions, dried Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Saute until caramelized. Add the wine and deglaze, scraping the bottom. Add the stock, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a simmer. Return the roast to the pan and any accumulated juices from the sheet tray. Roast in the oven, turning every 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat registers 125 degrees F, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. While the roast is cooking, start on the garnishes.
For the chips: Heat the suet in a pot to 365 degrees. On a mandolin, thinly slice the potatoes and rinse in cold water. Drain and dry thoroughly. Add the potatoes gently to the suet and fry until gold brown. Drain on paper towels and season with the salt, granulated garlic, paprika and sugar.
For the sweet peppers: Toss the bell peppers, olive oil and granulated garlic together on a sheet tray and season with salt. Roast until slightly soft, but still bright, about 20 minutes.
For the broccoli rabe: In a saute pan over medium-high heat, render the fatback until crispy. Remove the fatback with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan. Saute until fragrant, and then add the broccoli rabe. Cook until the greens have wilted, the stems are cooked through, but the broccoli rabe has retained its color. Toss with the fatback and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
When the roast is done cooking, remove from the oven and let rest under tented foil. Strain the juice from the roasting pan into a saucepot. Bring to a simmer, skim the fat from the top and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Hold warm over low heat.
To build the sandwiches: Very thinly slice the roast by hand or on a deli slicer. Dredge a roll through the cooking juices and top with 4 to 6 ounces sliced meat. Garnish with the Homemade Giardiniera and the sweet peppers. Serve with the chips and broccoli rabe.
Homemade Giardiniera:
1 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
4 serrano chiles, sliced into rounds
1 cup small cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup julienned red bell peppers
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 cups canola oil
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a small pot, add the carrots, celery, chiles, cauliflower, garlic, bell peppers and vinegar and cover with water. Season with the salt and bring to a light simmer. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes; the vegetables should still be crisp and bright. Drain and cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Add the oils to the vegetables and store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator
