Italian Beef Sandwiches

These are so awesome.  I am going to post the recipe in its entirety.  It calls for 3 different cuts of beef totaling 5 pounds.  I thought that was a little ridiculous and just used 5 pounds of bottom round.  It gets cooked to the point of shredding anyway , so any need of it being a tender cut of beef is moot.  This makes a lot, but it freezes really well and if you steam the left overs you don't have to drain any excess juice off because it falls through the steamer basket.  And, yes, 1/2 cup for a normal commercial hoagie roll is sufficient.  We used a horseradish cheddar on them last night and it was better than with provolone.  If you like horseradish, that is.

Italian Beef Sandwiches


2 lb. boneless beef rump roast, or bottom round roast (halved
2 lb. beef chuck roast (halved)
1 lb. sirloin tip roast
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 c water
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 envelopes Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope zesty Italian dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


In a large skillet, brown each roast in oil on all sides. Drain. Transfer meat to a 7-qt slow cooker. Combine the water, onion, garlic, salad dressing and gravy mixes, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and Worcestershire sauce; pour over beef.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat is tender.  Remove beef; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Pour juices into a large bowl. Shred beef; add to bowl. Cool. Transfer to freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen beef: Thaw in the refrigerator over night. Place in a Dutch oven; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/2 cup on each bun. Top with cheese. We divided the meat into 1/2 cup servings prior to freezing so we could just use what we needed instead of reheating the whole batch every time.