Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwich MT 22"

[AZ2FL]

Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwich

Living in Tucson, Az there was a local restaurant called "Luke's Italian Beef" the owner was from Chicago and ran several locations in the city with his son and daughter.

I'd eat lunch at Luke's once a week. Menu included Brats & Fries, Italian beef, Chicago dogs & fries, Italian beef with Italian sausage (aka gut buster). What I miss the most is the Italian beef, hot, sweet, wet and twice fried crinkle cut fries.
After moving to Florida, I was not able to find many Italian beef restaurants. So, I'd make my IB in the oven and slice with a deli slicer.

Last Friday I cooked a prime five-pound eye of round on a 22" MT.
•Trimmed, seasoned and placed on aluminum foil (let rest for 90 minutes at room temp before cooking)
•Lit full chimney of RO lump.
•Dumped lump into 22" MT (no wood chunks)
•Closed lid, bottom and top vents wide open
•Waited for grill temp to reach 400-425 degrees with TBS
•Loaded EOR in grill with probe.
•Cooked at 400-425 degrees for 30 minutes
•Closed bottom P vent to 1/8" opening and top vent open. Trying to get 200 degrees at grill grate level.
•Removed when IT temp was 135 degrees. Total cook time was 90 minutes. EOR rested on counter to cool and was refrigerated overnight.
•Drippings were saved to make beef au jus (gravy for you Chicago guys). I did add a small amount of beef bouillon, onions and one cup of water.
•Saturday morning beef was sliced paper thin. While the slicer was out, I cut up a four-pound slab of cured bacon too.

For lunch on Saturday I made a cold beef sandwich on a croissant with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and mayo. It was good, but the real treat was IB for dinner.

I rough chopped the Marconi giardiniera, diced fresh jalapenos and cooked a green bell pepper in oil.
Jus (gravy) was simmered, seven ounces of beef per serving was added to the jus. After meat was hot it was removed, placed in Publix hoagie roll, topped with giardiniera, jalapenos and green bell pepper. After sandwich was assembled, tongs were used to hold sandwich and dunk in jus.

Dang tasty Italian beef sandwich. I know it's not as good as the real deal in Chicago.

Sliced beef did not have a smokey flavor. Wife said it was the best Italian beef I'd ever made. So, what do I? I proceed to buy 30 more pounds of prime EOR, it was on sale. I can always make beef jerky. lol

Cheers

@Darko  Did I use jus and au jus correctly?

[AZ2FL]

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[getjeffrey]

Actually, a beef sandwich with an Italian sausage is called a "combo". Luke knows that and is just tripping. "Gut Buster", please! LOL.

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[michaelmilitello]

Nice work!  My favorite sandwich. 

I'm a Chicago expat living in Indiana.   The first thing I do when go "home" is get a combo, juicy, sweet from Johnnies Beef. 


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[hansonb4]

Having moved from Chicago to Arlington, TX 9 months ago, I am happy to see that you are using the true, #1 brand - Marconi. Marconi is the best and I can't wait to go have it again on Saturday when I go back to Chicago for the weekend and eat two of those sandwiches at Portillo's in Crystal Lake.

[bamakettles]

Man that looks SO good...nice details on the cook and love the pics.  I'd eat one of those any day!

[Jrzy.Hillbilly]

Nicely done!