#and the cheese was like a few small slices of french onion havarti

[castielafflicted]

disease that makes me put multiple types of dairy in soup

[chefilona]

CHEF ILONA: My not quite authenic, but totally delicious  Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwich!

I love Chicago. It’s a big city that doesn’t act like it. The people are friendly, their community spirit is infectious and the food? Omg the food! As a chef, I’ve had the chance to do some work in Chicago over the years and every time I go there are certain things that must be eaten: A feed at Portillos (those Chicago Dogs cannot be missed!), Deep Dish from Lou Malnati’s (so much debate here), a Polish sausage at Jim’s and an Italian Beef sandwich. 

Now before I go any further, I want to share the parameters I am dealing with trying to come as close as I can in re-creating the iconic sandwich:

1) I am on a small island province on the east coast of Canada and we definitely do not have access to many of the readily available pantry items found in the US. We do not have Italian dressing mix packets or Chicago Giardinera on Prince Edward Island. I could order some of the items online, but I feel this might deter some folx from making the dish.With this in mind I made the choice to MacGyver it.

2) This recipe needs to be accessible to home cooks. This means the shaved beef found at Al’s will likely not be possible unless you happen to have a meat slicer at home.

3) Bread is an important part of the sandwich. It’s gotta have the structural integrity to withstand dipping the entire sandwich in the jus if desired, but not something too tough to warrant a visit to the dentist’s office. I opt for a nice bit of French bread. This is a good time to visit your local bakery for this sandwich. It is well worth it.

Now with that out of the way, my love of this sandwich isn’t something I can access anytime, so this is a labour of love that is as close as I can come to the Chicago; I think of it as an Italian Beef with a Canadian kiss.

Chicago Inspired Italian Beef

A Chef ILona interpration!

This recipe is based upon the iconic Chicago Italian Beef sandwich by way of PEI. There are some ingredients that are simply unavailable in Canada, so I’ve taken a bit of poetic license to get us as close as possible. I’ve opted to use Havarti instead of provolone because I prefer the buttery quality of Havarti melted on this epic sando.

3lb PEI BEEF chuck flats, trimmed of excessive visible fat and cut into large pieces

2 Tbsp Club House Italiano Seasoning or (1 Tbsp italian dry herb seasoning, ½ Tbsp granulated garlic, ½ Tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp onion flakes)

1 cup pepperoncini pepper slices + splash of juice or mild pickled jalapeno

3-4 dashes of Worcestershire

1 cup Italian Pickled Vegetable Salad, drained and chopped

2 cups sodium free beef broth

1 each red and green bell pepper, sliced into thick wedges

Havarti cheese slices

4 French mini baguettes or Italian Rolls

At a medium-high heat, brown the beef in a small amount of olive oil. Place browned beef, Italiano seasoning, both pickled vegetables, and beef stock in a casserole dish with a fitted lid. Allow the beef to braise in a 350F oven until tender; this should take about 3 ½ hours. After 3 hours have elapsed stir in the 2 bell peppers. To assemble the sandwich: Pull apart the meat and stuff some into a bun topped with some of the cooked bell peppers. Place a few slices of Havarti on top of the meat and place in a broiler until the cheese just melts. If you want, ladle on additional sauce or dip the entire sandwich in the braising liquid. Top with additional pickled vegetables, mild jalapeno rings and pepperoncini. Meat will freeze well for up to 3 months.