These beef sandwiches are such an easy and delicious way to feed a crowd. Depending on how big of a roast you pick up, this can easily be scaled up to feed a party. Since it's COVID times, I picked up a smaller one and plan to have leftovers for the week. Not to mention there are only a few ingredients and steps in this one and you just put it in the crockpot to cook and tenderize all day, it's perfect for a busy Monday or a snowy Tuesday. Growing up this was a family staple in the fall and winter months!
First things first, I like to brown up the roast a bit. I used a salt grinder and pepper grinder on both sides before adding it to the hot oil in the pan. This creates a bit of a crust. Not totally necessary but I got a new pan for Christmas and have been loving how easy it us to brown things in it :)
After that, I plop it right into the crockpot. My girls wanted to help so they added in the beef broth (a 48 oz carton, this way the beef is nearly submerged), the Italian Seasoning, Red Pepper Chili Flakes (just a pinch!), Onion Powder, Bay Leaves, Beef Bouillion Cubes and copious amounts of Garlic. Basically the roast at this point is swimming in a sea of Italian seasonings ready to be cooked and tenderized for the next 8-10 hours on low. Side note, this recipe could qualify for the Instant Pot but to be honest, I find the meats on the "slow cook" option on the Instant Pot just never turn out as good as the crockpot.
From there, it's low and slow baby. If you get it started late, feel free to turn it on high for a bit, but since it's been a busy day, we started early and will have it ready for dinner this evening.
Once the meat is tender, take two forks and shred it up on a cooking board. Add back to the broth. Dump an entire jar of giardiniera (I used Racconto Mild) into the broth, give it a stir and let it heat through for a bit (20 minutes or so). After that you're ready to start plating. My husband loves spicy foods, but the kids won't tolerate it so for this I use the mild giardiniera and buy a second jar of spicy. We add it to our Turano French Rolls, which you can find in pretty much any deli section of a supermarket, and top with the additional giardiniera and it's done!
They're hearty, meaty, very filling and you have leftovers for days. If you are feeling a bit extra, throw some mozzarella on top and let the heat of the beef melt it even more. Enjoy!
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