My Favorite Beef Sandwich Recipe

I know there are a million different ways to make a tasty beef sandwich. Back home in Chicago, every restaurant has a different delicious recipe. They also sold tubs of beef pre-made to just heat up and enjoy. When I moved west, those tubs disappeared and the beef sandwich selection got a lot less interesting. Big bummer! My dad got this recipe from a friend who runs a catering business, so I like to think it's extra special. My dad shared it with me and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite meals.

This one is my favorite beef sandwich recipe for a couple reasons:
1. It's easy - stick it in the slow cooker and forget about it.
2. It's plain and simple - no fancy ingredients or expensive meats.
3. It has THREE ingredients, and one of those is water!

Since I love it so much, I figured I had to share.



Here are the super easy ingredients. One jar of peperoncinis, one chuck roast, 2 cups of water. I used a 3lb. roast this time because I didn't want too many leftovers, but I usually make 5-6lbs. in one batch. It freezes perfectly and thaws out delicious. In my grocery store, the peperoncinis are stocked with the relish, pickes, etc.

You can buy either sliced peperoncinis or whole, like I did. If they're whole, remove the stems. I also remove the peperoncinis after cooking because I'm not a big fan of cooked peppers, but that's your choice. Since I like the flavor but not the pepper, I use the whole peppers so they're easier to pull out after cooking. Also - you'll be using the juice from the peperoncini jar. For sandwiches full of spice, use all the liquid. If you want less, use less juice. The smaller the roast, the more flavor. With a 3lb. roast, I used all the juice. It was full of spice, but not burn your mouth dying kind of spice. Just a little kick.



Put the roast in the slow cooker and pour water, peperoncinis, and the liquid from the jar (however much you want)over the roast. Cover and cook for 12-16 hours. The longer the better!

I started the beef the night before and checked it in the morning. It was getting brown and smelling delicious.



I also flipped the roast because it was getting too brown on the top. At this point (about 8 hours in) pieces broke off of the roast but were not falling apart like it will when it's done.



The point is to leave it cooking until a fork can easily tear the meat apart. If it's falling apart, it's good to go. Once it's cooked completely and falling apart deliciously, I remove the whole peperoncinis. This step is a personal preference.



Remove the roast to a pan and shred with two forks. If it's cooked enough, it should shred quickly and easily. And it should smell ah-mazing.



I usually put the meat back in the juices for about 30 minutes to heat it back up to boiling and keep it super moist.

Once it's all hot and bubbly, serve on some rolls. Pour some juice over the meat to have a super moist sandwich. My husband says some red and green peppers would taste really good in this recipe too, but like I said, I'm not a big fan of cooked peppers. I think it tastes delicious as is. Of course, you could add anything you want to this.

But it's delicious and spicy and filling as is. I just made this last weekend, and I'm pretty sure it will be on the grocery list again soon!