Italian Beef

My husband is from Wisconsin, and he loves a good italian beef sandwich.  He used to frequent some of the greats like Portillo's and Martino's.  Once he moved to Arizona, it was hard finding a place to get this great sandwich.  Dad's Dog House (now closed) in Mesa was the best he'd found.  Now we're in Washington state and rather than hunt down a good Vienna Beef hot dog joint, we decided to make our own 'gravy' recipe.  This is a pretty common meal while camping since it's quick and doesn't dirty a lot of dishes.  While it is not Vienna Beef, I think we've perfected a pretty darn good substitute.  Are you a fan of italian beef?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Chicago Style Italian Beef
3 cups water
1 tablespoon beef base
1.5 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp - italian seasoning (or oregano)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 pound london broil roast beef, deli sliced
4 Italian deli rolls (or outdoor rolls)
8 slices Mozzarella/Provolone Cheese
**1/2 cup olive relish (see below)

Combine top 7 ingredients, bring to a boil and let cook for about 10 - 15 minutes until all seasonings are fully incorporated.  Add beef and let cook for about 5 -10 minutes.  My husband likes his bun layered with meat, cheese and relish.  I like mine cheese, meat, relish.  Make sure to use the 'gravy'.  The traditional way to eat it is 'wet'.  Either drown the bun or dip (like a french dip). 

**Italian beef sandwiches are traditionally served with giardiniere, but we didn't have any so we tried an olive relish since we had the ingredients on hand.  It is just as good as using giardiniere.  You will need one thing to make the relish: Mezzetta: Napa Valley Bistro - Italian Olive Antipasto.  Finely chop each of the items found in this jar to make the olive relish (I omit the pepperocini since I don't like them).

~ Enjoy! ~