In cooking, as in most all areas of life, the hardest part can be the planning. And before you can plan, you have to have ideas. As much as I love to cook, sometimes I feel “out of ideas”. On these occasions, I ask family members what they’re “hungry for”. Making sure I have pantry staples and meat in the freezer helps me act on their requests. Other times I revisit favorite recipes and put them together in a different way.
To make French Dip Sandwiches I turn to my favorite way to prepare a beef roast. Deeply browning the meat is one of the first steps and contributes a big flavor impact to the dipping broth that will be created during the cooking process. I also like to make my own French Rolls from my favorite Artisan bread recipe. I simply change the shape of the roll to accommodate the sandwiches. You can find that recipe here
While the roast is cooking, you’ll have time to make a side salad which means you’ll have a complete and satisfying dinner in no time.
French-Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 lbs roast beef
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3-4 cups water
Instructions
- Brown all sides of the roast in a hot cast iron skillet.
- Add oil to InstantPot and sauté diced onion. Once onion is softened add garlic, soy sauce, salt, pepper and browned roast. Add water to the cast iron skillet and scrape the fond (cooked bits) off the bottom. Pour into the InstantPot, seal and cook for 1 hour.
- Remove meat to cool, then slice or shred. Meanwhile, strain the broth and discard the solids. Taste. If it seems weak pour it into a pan and simmer over the stove to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavor. Salt to taste. Place the meat on toasted buns. Serve the sandwiches with hot broth for dipping. Makes about 6 sandwiches.
