Hot Italian Beef Sandwich

In spite of a long list of ingredients, the recipe is really fairly simple. Simply toss the chuck with the dry rub seasoning blend turns the beef chuck from a standard pot roast into an Italian Beef flavor bomb. The blend contains oregano, basil, rosemary, paprika, red pepper flakes, thyme, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.

Mixing the spice rub accounts for the most time-consuming part of this recipe. I usually mix it together the night before I make the sandwiches. Then, when I'm ready to cook, everything comes together quickly. The dry rub blend will keep good in your spice cabinet so make extra for the next recipe.

Bread - buy a six pack bag of crusty sub rolls. Anything soft or flimsy will fall apart, especially if dipped. 

Leftovers - Don't let any of this stuff go to waste. The beef in with its juice will freeze and keep well for a couple of months.  Just thaw it out, drain off the juice into dipping bowls, make the sandwiches and dip it!

Instant Pot Hot Italian Beef Sandwiches

Toppings

• Provolone and/or sliced American cheese

• Hot gardineria

• Greek pepperoncini 

• Sautéed peppers and onions(optional)

For the Italian beef dry rub:

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (omit if using salted beef broth)

• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press

• 2 cups beef broth, preferably unsalted

• 1 Tablespoon fish sauce

• 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste 

• For the sautéed green peppers and onions: (optional)

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 medium green bell peppers, cored and sliced

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

For the sandwiches:

6 (6-inch) crusty sub or sandwich rolls

Sliced provolone, cheddar, or American cheese (optional)

Giardiniera or pepperoncini peppers (optional)

Make the beef rub: Place the oregano, basil, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, salt, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Place the cubed beef in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the spice blend and toss to combine and coat the cubes evenly.

Heat the oil in the instant pot on the sauté setting until shimmering.  Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.

Turn off the sauté setting, add the beef, beef broth, fish sauce and tomato paste and stir to combine.  Lock the lid into place. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Meanwhile, if making the sautéed green peppers, cook them now.

Finish the beef: Once the cooking time is complete, turn the instant pot off. Do not let it switch to warm. Allow the pressure to release naturally; this will take about 20 minutes. Unlock the lid and test the meat. It should be fork-tender; if it isn't, replace the lid and cook for an additional 5 minutes under high pressure, followed by a 10-minute natural release.

Transfer the beef to a large bowl and shred with 2 forks. Return the shredded beef to the instant pot. Toss with the pan juices.

Make the sandwiches:
Split the rolls. Fill with cheese if using. (For melted cheese, place the split rolls topped with cheese under the broiler until the cheese melts, about 1 minute.) Spoon the shredded beef onto the sandwich. Top with giardiniera, pepperoncini, and/or sautéed green peppers.

Ladle on some of the cooking liquid or serve with the cooking liquid in individual bowls for dunking. Alternatively, dip the entire sandwich: Use a pair of tongs to dip the sandwich carefully into the cooking liquid, which will be quite hot. Serve immediately.

Make ahead: The beef can be cooked and shredded up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate in the juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm over medium heat on the stovetop before assembling the sandwiches. Leftover beef can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Putting together the sandwiches:

The Toppings

When you order an Italian Beef, there are typically three options: dry, wet, and dunked. Each place calls these options by different names, but they essentially boil down to the same thing.

Here's the thing: dry doesn't mean dry. Ever. An Italian beef sandwich always includes some jus — and, in fact, a lot of jus is usually the default. I'm sure some folks order their sandwiches without any juice, but that's a rare exception to the rule.

So what does dry mean? Dry means a little jus get spooned over the sandwich. Wet means a generous ladleful. And dunked is when they take your sandwich, the entire sandwich, filling and all, and dunk it in the au jus. Dunked sandwiches are usually so wet you can't pick them up. They require you to grab a fork before you dive in.

However you finish your sandwich, with giardiniera or pepper, with cheese or not, this is one sandwich worth making. Just remember to wear a bib. 

Makes 6 large sandwiches

Urban Cowgill December 2017 (updated 2023)