Slow Cooker Portillo's Italian Beef Sandwiches Recipe

Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches

• Place the chuck roast in a 6-quart Crock Pot.
• Pour the beef broth, Italian dressing mix, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepperoncini peppers and juice, and Worcestershire sauce over the beef.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
• Transfer the entire roast to a cutting board. Shred the beef with two forks, removing any large pieces of rendered fat.
• Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir it into the cooking liquid.
• Cover and cook for another 20–30 minutes on LOW. This gives the meat time to soak up that rich, savory au jus.
• Pile the tender beef onto crusty Italian rolls. Spoon a little au jus over the meat and top with hot giardiniera.
• For a wetter Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich: Dip the inside of the roll quickly into the au jus before filling it. Or spoon additional gravy over the whole sandwich.

Instant Pot Italian Beef Sandwich Recipe

• Cut the chuck roast into 3–4 large pieces.
• Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add a little olive oil and brown the outside of the beef for 2–3 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary.
• Remove the beef and pour about ½ cup of the beef broth into the pot. Scrape the bottom thoroughly to loosen the browned bits.
• Return the beef to the pot. Add the remaining broth, Italian dressing mix, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepperoncini and juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Lock the lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 60 minutes.
• Allow a 15-minute natural release, then carefully release the remaining pressure.
• Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred.
• Return the shredded beef to the Instant Pot and let it sit in the Italian beef gravy for about 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve on Italian rolls with giardiniera and plenty of au jus.

Stovetop Chicago Style Italian Beef

• Heat a little olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Brown the beef on all sides, then remove it temporarily from the pot.
• Pour in about ½ cup of beef broth and scrape up the browned bits.
• Return the beef to the pot and add the remaining broth, Italian dressing mix, seasonings, pepperoncini and Worcestershire sauce.
• Bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cover and cook over low heat for 3–3½ hours, turning the beef occasionally, until fork tender.
• Shred the beef and return it to the pot.
• Simmer for another 15–20 minutes before piling it onto rolls with Chicago-style giardiniera.

Dutch Oven Italian Beef Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Brown the chuck roast well on all sides.
• Add the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to release the browned bits.
• Add the Italian dressing mix, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepperoncini and juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
• Cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
• Cook for 3–3½ hours, or until the beef is tender enough to pull apart easily.
• Shred the beef and return it to the savory au jus.
• Cover and return to the oven for another 15–20 minutes before serving.

Oven-Baked Italian Beef Sandwiches

• Here's an extra method that's worth having for this particular recipe because it gives you those hot, crispy-edged sandwiches.
• Prepare the beef using any of the methods above.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Split the Italian rolls and arrange them on a baking sheet.
• Fill each roll generously with shredded Italian beef.
• Add provolone or mozzarella cheese if desired.
• Bake for 5–8 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the cheese is melted.
• Top with hot giardiniera or sweet peppers after baking.
• Serve with small bowls of warm au jus for dipping.
• That's definitely not the traditional naked Chicago beef sandwich anymore—but it's a damn good variation.

Freezer Meal Instructions

• Freeze Before Cooking
• Add to a freezer bag: Roast, seasonings, Pepperoncini and juices, Worcestershire
• Remove as much air as possible, seal and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, add the beef broth, and cook according to the slow cooker instructions.
• I'd keep the giardiniera and rolls out of the freezer bag and buy or prepare those when you're ready to serve.
• Freeze After Cooking
• This one's even easier.
• Let the Italian beef cool completely. Divide the shredded beef and enough au jus to keep it moist between airtight containers or freezer bags.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat the beef in its own au jus over low heat. That helps keep it tender instead of drying it out.
• Leftovers: You can also store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Just keep it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.

• Add the cauliflower, carrot, celery and serrano peppers to a bowl.
• Cover the vegetables with cold water and stir in enough salt to make a salty brine. Cover and refrigerate for 8–12 hours.
• Drain the vegetables thoroughly and rinse them briefly under cold water.
• Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. You don't want a bunch of extra water diluting the marinade.
• Add the vegetables to a clean bowl with the chopped pepperoncini.
• Pour in the white vinegar and olive oil. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
• Stir everything together until the vegetables are well coated.
• Transfer the mixture to an airtight container or jar.
• Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. It's even better after a couple of days.
• Stir before using and spoon it generously over your Italian beef sandwiches.