Set it and forget it French Dip?! It doesn’t get any better than this.
Despite the name this sandwich is actually not French in origin, it’s American. Los Angeles has two restaurants that claim to have invented it and without being a local myself, it’s difficult to determine or have a strong opinion one way or the other.
The French Dip Sandwich is a roast beef sandwich served “Au Jus,” which means “with juice” in French. The juice being the juices left behind from cooking. This “juice” served as a dip on the side can also see the addition of flour and water, brought to a simmer to create more of a gravy made from the juices.
The bread selection is a French baguette or French dinner roll, often cut in half and lined with a slice of Provolone cheese.
You can use any tender cut of beef to make this sandwich (chuck from the shoulder, bottom round from the hind legs, London broil, prime rib, etc.) as long as it’s roasted leaving behind meat juices from the beef.
These days you can even buy an easy to make Au Jus seasoning packet on the same aisle where you buy gravy packs if you don’t have enough juices left behind for dipping. I like to have one on stock in our food storage at home because you can always add flour to it and make a gravy as well.
Anyway for this recipe you won’t need all that, because we’re going to let a chuck roast slow cook in a CrockPot for eight to ten hours in plenty of beef broth. Even after shredding while still in the slow cooker, you’ll easily be able to ladle out the juices from the crock pot for dipping.
In fact this turned out so juicy it doesn’t even need to be served Au Jus, it’s that good. So without further ado, let’s get to it!
Ingredients: (Makes 6 Sandwiches)
- 2 lbs. Beef Chuck Roast
- 1 Packet Crockpot Savory Pot Roast Seasoning Mix
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 6 Slices Provolone Cheese
- 6 French Rolls or Hoagie style Buns
Nutrition Facts: (Per 1 Sandwich)
- Calories: 460.8
- Total Fat: 15.4g
- Cholesterol: 110.4mg
- Sodium: 1,601.6mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 37.1g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.6g
- Sugar: 2.2g
- Protein: 41.9g
- Vitamin D: 0%
- Calcium: 17%
- Iron: 21.1%
- Potassium: 0mg
- Vitamin A: 3.8%
- Vitamin C: 0%
Directions:
- Place a 2 lbs. Beef Chuck Roast in a 2 quart slow cooker.
- Add 1 Packet of Crock Pot brand “Savory Pot Roast” Seasoning Mix, and 2 Cups of Beef Broth. Cover and cook on LOW for at least 8 hours.
- Check at 8 hours. If it’s tender enough with a fork to gently pull apart you’re good to go. If it feel a little tough still, continue to cook checking incrementally each additional hour until tender enough to shred. You’ll want to shred beef with two forks while it’s still in the slow cooker, removing any marble of unwanted fat as you go.
- Using a French Baguette or French dinner roll, or any hoagie style bun that is long in shape, cut it down the side and pull it open. Place a slice of Provolone cheese inside, and add in your meat straight from the CrockPot. If you use freshly sliced Provolone cheese from your deli it will melt faster than packaged cheese.
- Cut sandwich in half so it is easier to dip. Using a small bowl on the side, ladle in the juices and broth from the slow cooker where your meat is still being kept hot.
- Serve, dip, and enjoy!
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