Description
The French Dip was invented in Los Angeles, not France, which is the most American thing about it. Thin-sliced roast beef piled on a crusty roll with melted provolone, served with a cup of warm, beefy jus for dunking. The jus is everything — rich, savory, and almost impossible to stop dipping into. This stovetop version skips the long roast and delivers in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Units
- 1 1/2 lbs deli roast beef, thinly sliced
- 4 French bread rolls or hoagie rolls, split
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire, soy sauce, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes to develop the jus.
- Add the sliced roast beef to the jus and warm gently for 2 minutes. Do not boil or the beef will toughen.
- Preheat the broiler. Split the rolls and place them cut-side up on a baking sheet. Pile the warm beef onto the bottom halves and top with 2 slices of provolone each.
- Broil for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the top buns are toasted.
- Remove the bay leaf from the jus. Strain the jus into small bowls for dipping. Close the sandwiches and serve immediately alongside the jus.
Notes
- The jus should be deeply savory and slightly salty — it needs to season the bread when you dunk, so do not undersalt it.
- Warming the roast beef gently in the jus instead of cooking it prevents the deli meat from turning tough and stringy.
- Save any leftover jus — it makes an excellent base for onion soup or gravy the next day.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 26
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 44
- Cholesterol: 105