Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 rump roast
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or more)
• salt and pepper, go easy on the salt because the bouillon is salty
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 garlic clove, I use at least 6, peeled and mashed
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 1 loaf Italian bread or French bread or crusty bread

Directions

1. 1

   Place roast on a rack, in an open roasting pan, I use an 9" X 13" (230mm x 330mm) baking pan with the rack in it. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees (165 C), allowing 25 minutes per pound (55 min per kilo) , roast will be rare.

2. 2

   Cool, and slice very thin, I use an electric slicer to do this. To the drippings in the pan, add the boiling water, bouillon cubes or granules, (1 bouillon cube for each cup of boiling water used). Add marjoram, thyme, oregano, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic cloves, and chopped green pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the thinly sliced beef and cover. Marinate in gravy in refrigerator overnight.

3. 3

   Next day, heat thoroughly, and serve warm on the French bread, along with a crisp, green salad and plenty of napkins!

4. 4

   Note: Our family loves the gravy so much that I usually double the gravy recipe so there is plenty to dip the beef sandwich into. We also like to put a lot of gravy on the bread before adding the meat. Sometimes we add barbecue sauce to the sandwich before eating it, for a different flavor, not a lot, just a touch, about 1 Tablespoon or less to taste.

5. 5

   Courtesy of Joseph Strain.