Fabio's French Dip Au Jus

  • Easy secrets to making beef stock: Enrich your life! Your au jus will only be as good as your beef stock, so consider making your own from unused beef bones. Toss them into the freezer until you need them. Unsalted canned broth or consommé is the next best choice, but avoid using salty bouillon cubes.

  • Smart leftover tricks to revitalize your food: How you treat your meat BEFORE it's leftover matters. Refrigerate or slightly freeze smaller chunks of cooked prime rib to portion it out, and use a sharp knife to make thin-slicing a breeze when you reheat it.

French Dip Au Jus

Recipe by Fabio Viviani

Yield: 3 sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 sandwich baguettes, sliced in half lengthwise

6 slices Provolone cheese

1-1½ lbs. roasted prime rib beef, thinly sliced

3 cups Fabio's beef broth (recipe below)

Method:

Heat a cast iron griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once the griddle is hot, lay the baguettes cut-side down on the griddle to toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

In the meantime, ladle 3 cups of HOT beef broth into a large bowl.

Add sliced prime rib to the broth to heat the meat and slightly cook it.

Flip the bread over, and place 2 slices of provolone cheese onto one side of each toasted baguette.

Top cheese with about 6oz of the heated sliced beef.

Heat the completed sandwiches on the griddle until cheese is melted.

Slice in half crosswise, and serve with additional beef broth, for dipping.

MANGIA!!

Beef Broth

Recipe by Fabio Viviani

Yield: about 2 quarts

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef bones for stock (ask your butcher)

2 large leeks, cleaned well and cut into 1-inch rounds

2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 cups cold water

1 bay leaf

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh parsley

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, arrange beef bones, leeks, carrots, and celery in a single layer.

Place in the oven and roast, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the roasted bones and vegetables into a large cast-iron pot or Dutch oven filled with water.

Using kitchen twine, tie bay leaf, thyme and parsley into a tight bundle.

Add the bundle to the pot with the bones and vegetables.

Over high heat, bring water to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.

Cover and simmer on low heat for 4 hours.

Cool slightly before straining the stock, discarding the bones, vegetables and herb bundle.

(Strain again using cheesecloth if a clearer broth is desired.)

Season to taste with salt.

Cool to room temperature then refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

MANGIA!!