Crockpot Italian Beef

By Brian Lagerstrom
I found a great way to make (and more importantly EAT) Italian beef with less than half the effort as your traditional Italian beef. This sandwich is so nostalgic for me and brings me back to being a teenager in Chicagoland again.
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 20 hours
Servings: 6 sandwiches
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Ingredients 

FOR THE BEEF:

  • 2 kg beef chuck
  • kosher salt
  • olive oil
  • 900 g beef stock
  • 10 g onion powder
  • 10 g garlic powder
  • 5 g dried oregano
  • 5 g dried basil
  • 3 g chili flakes
  • 5 g coriander, ground
  • 5 g paprika
  • 50 g Worcestershire sauce
  • 25 g tomato paste
  • 50 g beef bouillon, I use Better Than Bouillon

FOR THE GIARDINIERA

  • 150 g cauliflower, small diced
  • 150 g celery, small diced
  • 150 g carrots, small diced
  • 150 g green bell pepper, small diced
  • 150 g white onion, small diced
  • 75 g serrano chilies, thinly sliced
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 600 g white distilled vinegar
  • 400 g water
  • 30 g kosher salt
  • 300 g canola oil
  • 200 g olive oil

FOR THE ITALIAN ROLLS

  • 225 g warm water
  • 9 g instant yeast
  • 20 g olive oil
  • 15 g sugar
  • 350 g bread flour
  • 9 g kosher salt

Instructions 

    For accuracy, I highly recommend using measurements in grams as listed rather than volumetric (cups/tsp.)

FOR THE BEEF:

  • Cut beef chuck into 5-6 large chunks, about 2-3 inches across.
  • Season beef generously with kosher salt (approximately 2-3 tbsp or 30g) and let it sit for 15 minutes.
  • Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks for 5-10 minutes until browned on two sides.
  • Add the beef to a slow cooker. I like to use my instant pot for this.
  • Deglaze the pan with a splash of water or stock, then pour it over the beef in the slow cooker.
  • Add stock, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, chili flakes, coriander, paprika, worcestershire, tomato paste, and beef bouillon to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Slow cook on low for 8-10 hours or until tender.
  • Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it into smaller pieces, but not fully shredded.
  • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and refry the shredded beef for 4-5 minutes until it's a little crispy around the edges.
  • Add 2-3 cups of beef jus to the pan and reduce by half.
  • To assemble the sandwiches, slightly crisp up the Italian rolls in the oven for 5 minutes.
  • Layer giardiniera, shredded refried Italian beef, and concentrated jus on the rolls.
  • Wrap the sandwiches tightly with parchment paper and slice in half.
  • GIARDINIERA
  • Break down cauliflower into small florets. Small dice celery, carrots, bell pepper, onion. Thinly slice chiles and press or mince garlic. Combine in a bowl.
  • In a pot, bring vinegar, water, and salt to a boil. Add in the vegetables, remove from heat, cover, and let them cool in the brine. Once cool, marinate for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
  • The next day, drain the pickling liquid and top the vegetables with canola oil and olive oil.

ITALIAN HOAGIE ROLLS

    If you are new to making dough from scratch, I recommend watching my Youtube video linked above to familiarize yourself with the process.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Combine Ingredients in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook.
  • Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes or until dough is well combined and clearing the bowl, then increase to high speed and mix for 4 more minutes until the dough is fully developed and you can tug on it without it ripping.
  • Transfer dough to a bowl and round it into a ball. Cover and ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes. It should have doubled in size.
  • Divide the dough into two pieces, shape them into balls, cover, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
  • De-gas and flatten each ball and shape each piece of dough into a 12-inch tube. To do this, roll each de-gassed piece of dough up like a pin wheel while also pressing firmly down every rotation. When the dough is in a cigar shape, leaving the seam side down, start with your hands in the middle and roll them back and forth while simultaneously moving your hands out towards the ends of the dough. Once the dough is about 8 inches, start applying more pressure at the edges to make them taper off. Continue this until the doughs are 12" (30cm) long. Place each of the loaves onto the back of a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
  • Cover and proof for 60 minutes. They should double in size. Spray the rolls with water, score them tip to tip with a razor blade or serrated knife, and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F (190°C) until golden brown.
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About Brian

As a former professional chef, I’m obsessed with creating well-designed recipes that not only taste good, but that are practical and fun for home cooks to re-create. You can browse my recipes here or head to my YouTube channel to watch all of my recipe videos.

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