Italian Beef Sandwich with Big Dipper Au Jus

Directions

1. An hour before cooking, season all sides of the beef with the kosher salt and several grinds of black pepper. Use your hands to evenly distribute the spices. Set the meat aside to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 hour).

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. While the oven heats, prepare two packets of Big Dipper Au Jus (using 2 cups of water) in a medium saucepan according to packet directions. Once the mixture has come to a boil, set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown well on all sides, using tongs to turn it as needed, about 7 to 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside; leave any rendered fat in the pan.

5. Add the garlic and onion to the pan and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until very fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 1 minute (don’t let the aromatics get too dark). Immediately pour in the prepared Au Jus and beef stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the Vinny R’s Italian seasoning.

6. Return the beef to the pot and turn it a few times in the broth to moisten the entire surface. Cover the pot and cook in the oven until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 125 to 150 degrees, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven, let cool and then chill the beef in the braising liquid — pan and all — in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

7. Remove from the pot from the refrigerator and, if desired, skim the layer of fat from the top and discard. Remove the two garlic halves, squeeze out the soft cloves and discard the husks. While still cold, transfer the roast to a cutting board and use a large, sharp knife to slice the entire roast as thinly as possible — ⅛ inch thick or less (the thinner, the better). Meanwhile, return the pan with the jus to the stovetop over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Place the sliced meat in the pan with the jus and cook gently until the beef is tender and no longer pink, 20-25 minutes.

8. While the meat simmers, heat the oven to 325 F. Slice the rolls lengthwise, partway but not all the way through, leaving the top and bottom attached to each other with a 1-inch hinge. Toast the rolls until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Lay the rolls on the parchment, cut side down. Toast them in the oven until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

9. To assemble the sandwiches, hold a roll over the pan of meat and use tongs to lift slices of beef out of the jus and nestle them into the roll. Allow for plenty of jus to moisten the bread, spooning more of the liquid over the meat if the bread is too dry. Fill each roll with as much of the beef as you can fit — and then add a little more. Top the hot beef with two slices of provolone and garnish with pepperoncini and giardiniera to taste.