Hot Beef Sandwiches

What is there not to love about hot beef? Nothing. Nothing, I tell you. And now that football season is upon us, recipes like this one will carry you through.  I actually don't feel very strongly about football, but I do about the food that is associated with it. So, for the first Bears game this past weekend (my husband is the biggest fan out there), I made my mom's hot beef recipe. She's been making it for years and it is always a crowd favorite.  IT IS SO GOOD. Mom, you're a hot beef genius. 

Also, we like to cook for 75 on the weekends and this does the trick. We did have two guests though, so each person could eat 1.25 lbs of hot beef.

My husband wanted to get involved in the process, and he felt the buns for the sandwiches were a critical piece.  He went to the store, and this is what he came up with:

Nice job.  He claimed for blogging purposes we needed to try everything out there.  To me it looked more like we might need second jobs to support his bun habits. But, it turns out, not all buns are created equal in the hot beef world. You need something firm on the outside yet soft on the inside, like a hoagie or Italian roll.  I did like where he was going with the pretzel roll, but we decided this was not the appropriate avenue. I see a hot ham melt in our future.

Recipe (serves A LOT)

• 4-5 lb sirloin tip roast
• 3 cans beef consomme
• 1 package Italian dressing seasoning mix (Good Season or Hidden Valley are good)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• Olive oil/butter
• Italian or Hoagie rolls
• Provolone (optional)

Over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven. Pat the roast dry, then season with S&P.  Brown the meat on all sides, then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Pour in the beef consomme, Worcestershire, and Italian seasoning (half in the broth and half over the meat).  Spoon some of the broth over the meat. Cover, and cook for 3.5 to 4 hours over medium-low (should be a very low simmer).  When the meat is fork-tender, shred with a fork and stir around with the sauce (add a cup of water if you need more liquid - you shouldn't though).  Lightly butter the buns and place them under the broiler for a few minutes.  Make the sandwiches with plenty of meat and sauce, and a slice of provolone.  Eat it like you mean it.