Italian Beef Sandwiches
February 4, 2008 by Andrea
Filed under Beef, Grow Your Own, Sandwiches
On Super Bowl Sunday I attempted to fulfill one of Michael’s foodie wishes. He has been craving Chicago Italian beef sandwiches, and I decided to do some research and make some for him. He got to relive some good memories, and I learned that making Italian beef is pretty easy and well worth it!
Italian beef is a Chicago institution, and a number of restaurants around town serve up this dripping wet sandwich, which is best eaten over a trough. The meat is roasted to medium rare, sliced thin, then simmered in an au jus made from the meat drippings, stock, lots of oregano, and other seasonings. To eat it, you fill a sub roll full of meat and then dip the whole sandwich into the au jus. No dainty dipping of the ends, you plunge the whole sandwich in! Then you top it with bell peppers and giardineria (pickled vegetables). It is sloppy good! Read more
Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup
January 16, 2007 by Andrea
Filed under Beef, Soups & Stews
It’s official—we’re moving. Over the Christmas holiday we learned that Michael has a new job in the DC metro area, and now we’re in the midst of selling a home and looking for another. I’m excited about returning to that area and I think it will be very good for our family, but right now it is a *lot of work* and I don’t see that changing much in the next few months. Frankly cooking is not very high on the priority list at the moment, not when the house has to be kept immaculate for potential buyers to come visit. Oh, and our three little boys need some attention every now and then (every two or three minutes).
I never really gave this much thought until now, but all of this prepping to show the house has made me realize that I often make a real mess in the kitchen. I mean, some days it looks like a kitchen bomb went off. Read more
Mom’s Pot Roast
Mom and Dad are visiting this week in anticipation of the baby’s arrival, and it’s wonderful to have them here. The boys enjoy playing with them and Mom is treating us to some of our favorite meals, like this pot roast. Of all the meals my mother and grandmothers ever made, this roast ranks as my all-time favorite from childhood. It’s good, old-fashioned, simple comfort food. The meat cooks slowly on the stove for several hours until it starts to fall apart and the aroma fills the house, drawing everyone into the kitchen. The meat melts in your mouth. Mom makes gravy from the drippings and broth, and we pour it over the meat and potatoes. And there are usually enough leftovers for another meal and sandwiches.
Grandma McClure added onions to her pot roasts, but Mom started experimenting with the Lipton Onion Soup instead of onions. Both ways are very good. The cider vinegar and ketchup are optional, but they do help to tenderize a cheaper cut of meat, so add either or both to a bottom round to help tenderize it. The chuck is more marbleized and naturally more tender and generally doesn’t require the acid. Read more
