Hot Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches

Printable Recipe


This recipe is from a Taste of Home magazine. The sandwiches are very good, but I do make quite a few adjustments. I'll post the original recipe, but see my notes at the end for the changes I make.



1 tbsp butter
1 (5-pound) boneless sirloin tip beef roast - maybe try a chuck roast
1 (28-oz) can tomatoes with juice, cut up
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp ground thyme
1 - 3 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt

Semi Hard Rolls

In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer until the roast is tender, about 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Check on the water during cooking, and add additional water if necessary to keep the roast simmering in broth. When roast is tender, remove the meat and reserve the broth. Let the roast stand for 20 minutes before thinly slicing. When ready to serve, reheat the sliced meat in the broth and serve on the rolls.

NOTES:
~ If using a smaller roast, use a 14 1/2-oz can of tomatoes.

~ Make sure the burner is not turned up too high and that the broth is just simmering, not boiling.

~ I found the broth to be pretty bland, so I added the following: 1 can of Beef Broth, and extra 3/4 cup water, more red pepper flakes, dried oregano leaves and salt and pepper to taste, and a bay leaf.

~ Be sure to add the salt in the beginning of cooking. 1 tbsp of ground thyme is not too much, you need that amount.

~ Don't use too much liquid when using a sirloin tip roast, because then it "poaches" in the liquid, giving it sort of a weird texture. You want to "braise" the meat, meaning to cook it in just a little bit of liquid. That is why you want to make sure your burner is turned down low enough.

~ I think that you could easily use a chuck roast in place of the sirloin tip roast, and shredding the meat at the end. This can be done either on top of the stove, or in the oven. If you do it on top of the stove, depending on how big the roast is, you would only cook it for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or til tender. You can also do it in a covered roasting pan in the oven at 325 degrees for 3 1/2 - 4 hours, or til tender.

~ I found that when using a sirloin tip roast, it was a little difficult to slice thinly, so perhaps this could be made early in the day of when you plan to serve it, so that you can chill the meat first, before slicing it. Then just reheat everything just before serving.