Warm Italian Beef Sandwich Recipe

Pat the thinly sliced ribeye dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan or shallow Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, quickly sear the ribeye slices just until browned on both sides (about 30–45 seconds per side). Remove the meat to a plate; it will finish cooking in the jus.

Reduce heat to medium and add the minced garlic to the pan; sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw flavor.

Deglaze the pan with 1 cup dry red wine, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let wine reduce by half, about 3–4 minutes.

Add 3 cups beef broth, the thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf and the reserved seared ribeye to the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low, partially cover, and braise for 20 minutes to tenderize and let flavors meld.

Taste the jus and adjust seasoning with remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt if needed. If you prefer a slightly thicker jus for dipping, whisk 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water to make a slurry and stir into the simmering jus; cook 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Keep the braised ribeye warm in the jus while you prepare other components. Reserve 1 cup of jus for sandwich dipping/serving.

While the ribeye is braising, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Add the thinly sliced onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook slowly, stirring every 3–5 minutes, until deeply golden and caramelized, about 25–30 minutes. If onions are taking too long to color, sprinkle 1/2 tsp brown sugar to speed caramelization. Remove from heat and keep warm.

In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Whisk to emulsify.

Add 1 cup roasted red pepper strips and 1/2 cup julienned carrots to the vinaigrette, toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature at least 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours refrigerated) so flavors meld.

Preheat oven broiler or a 400°F (200°C) oven for melting cheese and toasting rolls.

Brush the cut sides of each hoagie roll with softened butter. Place cut-side up on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler or in the oven until lightly golden, 1–2 minutes; watch closely to prevent burning.

Using tongs, lift strips of ribeye from the jus (reserve additional jus for serving) and pile an even portion onto the bottom half of each toasted hoagie roll (about 5 oz meat per roll if serving 4). Spoon a small amount (1–2 tbs) of jus over the meat to keep it moist.

Top the hot beef with caramelized onions (about 1/4 cup per sandwich) and 1/4 cup of the marinated peppers and carrots.

Place two slices of provolone over the toppings on each sandwich. Transfer the assembled sandwiches to the oven or under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese (1–2 minutes).

Remove from oven, close the sandwiches, and serve immediately with small bowls of warm reserved jus on the side for dipping.