Traditional Chicago Italian beef with beef chuck

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg cubed beef chuck
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pieces yellow onion
• 6 cloves garlic clove
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground celery seeds
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 leaves dried bay leaf
• 1000 ml unsalted beef broth
• 2 pieces sweet green bell pepper
• 6 pieces Italian sandwich rolls
• 300 g hot Chicago giardiniera in oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C convection.
2. Season the cubed beef chuck with the fine salt and ground black pepper, massaging it well into the meat.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron Dutch oven over high heat until it begins to shimmer.
4. Add the pieces of meat in a single layer and sear them on all sides for several minutes, until a nice brown crust forms, then set them aside on a plate.
5. Lower the heat to medium, add the sliced yellow onions and minced garlic cloves to the remaining fat, and sweat them until the onions become translucent and slightly golden.
6. Add the dried oregano, dried basil, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, sweet paprika and ground celery seeds, then stir vigorously for one minute to toast the spices without burning them.
7. Pour the Worcestershire sauce and unsalted beef broth into the Dutch oven, then scrape the bottom vigorously with a wooden spatula to deglaze and release all the caramelized bits.
8. Return the roasted meat and its resting juices to the Dutch oven, add the dried bay leaves, then bring the liquid to a simmer.
9. Cover tightly with the Dutch oven lid, transfer to the oven and braise gently for about three hours, until the meat yields to the slightest pressure from a fork.
10. Toward the end of the meat's cooking time, slice the sweet green bell peppers into strips and saute them in a skillet with a drizzle of oil over medium heat until tender and slightly softened.
11. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, discard the dried bay leaves, then gently shred the chuck cubes using two forks, letting them soak up the hot, fragrant broth.
12. Split the Italian sandwich rolls lengthwise, keeping a hinge on one side.
13. Generously fill each roll with the well drained shredded meat, top with sweet green bell pepper strips and a good spoonful of hot Chicago giardiniera in oil.
14. For the traditional 'dipped' style, briefly dunk the ends of the sandwich or the entire sandwich into the scalding braising liquid, or serve a small bowl of hot broth on the side to dip each bite.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

475.5 kcal

Protein

54.18 g

Carbohydrate

13.54 g

Fat

23.16 g

Fibre

1.91 g

Calcium

55.17 mg

Iron

1.8 mg

Magnesium

16.59 mg