Description
This French Dip Sandwich is so delicious and so much fun to make! It’s great for some weekend cooking that you can enjoy all week long!
Ingredients
For the Beef:
- 1 (2 1/2 pound) beef roast (top, eye, or bottom)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 garlic cl0ves, smashed and unpeeled
- 1 cup beef or chicken stock, divided
For the Dipping sauce:
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 dashes of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- 2 pinches of kosher salt
For the Creamy Horseradish Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise (regular or Whole30)
- ¼ cup grated horseradish or 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sandwich:
- 2 to 4 French rolls
- Unsalted, softened butter
- 8 to 10 ounces provolone cheese
Instructions
Make the Beef
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Put the beef in a roasting pan. Thoroughly coat with the olive oil, rolling it around to completely cover. Season the beef with the salt and pepper. Remover the beef from the pan and set aside.
- Set a roasting rack securely in the pan and spread the unpeeled garlic cloves over the bottom off the pan. Pour ½ cup of the stock into the pan, then put the beef on the rack.
- Transfer to the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 475°F. Roast for 12 ½ minutes if you prefer medium-rare, or about 16 minutes for medium. Note: In case your roast is not exactly 2 ½ pounds, the calculation is 5 minutes per pound for medium-rare and closer to 6 ½ minutes per pound for medium.) Turn off the oven and – here’s the hard part – do not open the oven door. I tie mine with a ribbon and put a sign on the door that reads, “Do not open.” Leave the beef in the (turned-off) oven to slowly cook for 2 ½ hours more.
- Remove the beef from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board to rest and cool for about 30 minutes. Once the beef is cooled, cover tightly in aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight.
- Once the beef has cooled and rested overnight, thinly slice the beef. Set aside.
Make the Dipping Sauce
- Option #1: Set the roasting pan on the stovetop over low heat. Add the remaining ½ cup stock and stir, scraping up all the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the liquid to a small saucepan and set aside.
- Option #2: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the beef stock, apple cider vinegar and the liquid aminos. Add the pinches of salt and bring to a low simmer and let the sauce cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Make the dressing by blending the mayonnaise, horseradish, chives, mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
Assemble the Sandwich
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- On a baking sheet, place French rolls, sliced open. Spread the butter evenly on both sides of the rolls. Place in the oven to lightly toast, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Warm up the dipping sauce of choice. Dip the sliced beef in the warmed sauce and place on one side of the sandwich. Generously layer the provolone cheese slices over the beef and place in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has browned and melted. Remove from the oven and spread a couple of tablespoons of the Creamy Horseradish Sauce on the sandwich.Serve with the extra dipping sauce, pickles and chips and you have the most delicious French dip. Enjoy!
Notes
Try our variation on the sandwich, our French Dip Sliders!
You’ll need:
- 12 dinner rolls
- 12 slices, or 9 ounces, of provolone cheese
- 18 ounces thinly sliced roast beef, divided into 1 ½ ounce portions
- ½ cup marinated onions, drained
- Dipping sauce, from above using the Option 2 preparation method
- Horseradish dressing, from above
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Warm the dipping sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.
Cut the dinner rolls in half and put the bottom buns cut side up on a sheet tray. Place a folded slice of cheese, or ¾ ounce of cheese, on each roll. Add the tops of the buns to the sheet tray, cut side up, and put the sheet tray in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Meanwhile, saute the marinated onions in a nonstick pan until crispy.
One beef portion at a time, dip the beef into the dipping sauce and let the excess sauce drip off then layer, in a ribbon like manner, on top of the melted cheese on each of the dinner roll. Repeat with the remaining beef.
Flip the top buns so that they are cut side down on the sheet tray and lightly brush some of the dipping sauce onto the top of each of the top buns. Return the sheet tray to the oven for five minutes.
Take the sheet tray out of the oven, flip the top buns over and spread ½ to 1 tablespoon of horseradish dressing to the cut side of the top buns. Top the beef with the crispy marinated onions then close the sandwiches.
Serve with a side of the dipping sauce (and extra horseradish dressing, if you’d like) and enjoy.