Cookbook:Au Jus Sandwich
Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes
| Cookbook:Cuisine of the United States | Cuisine of California
| Au Jus Sandwich | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Category | Sandwich recipes |
| Servings | 4 |
| Time | 6 hours |
| Difficulty | |
The Au Jus Sandwich is also known as Roast Beef Au Jus, and is better known in America as the French Dip Sandwich. It traces its origins to downtown Los Angeles in either 1908 or 1918, when a local restaurant owner was making a sandwich for a police officer and accidentally dropped a French roll into a pan containing beef drippings.
The officer liked the sandwich so much that he brought some friends in the next day for the new invention. From that point on, the Au Jus sandwich went on to become internationally known. Two Los Angeles restaurants claim to have created the sandwich: Philippe The Original and Cole's Pacific Electric (P.E.) Buffet. Both have been in operation since 1908. For more information on the history of the sandwich, see the Wikipedia article.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 2-3 pounds roast or other cut of beef
- 1 beef bullion cube
- 1 can beef consommé (~2 cups/10.5 oz), bullion cube equivalent, or additional roast beef
- 1 can French onion soup (~2 cups)
- 4 French/sandwich/hoagie rolls
- 1 cup of butter
- 1 can of beer (optional)
- spices (e.g., salt, pepper) (optional)
Procedure
- Combine all the ingredients except the rolls in a slow cooker or crock pot. Let the mixture simmer for at least six hours. This step is critical because it makes the meat tender.
- You can either pre-dip the sandwich, or serve with a bowl of meat drippings. Serve beef on split hoagie rolls or miniature French bread loaves. When serving the drippings separately, remove the beef shreds from the juices and serve with a small bowl of meat drippings on the side. Dip the sandwiches in the drippings as you eat.
Notes, tips, and variations
- Bread can be toasted and buttered before adding beef.
- In the original sandwich, the bread was dipped in the juice prior to adding the meat, rather than dipped at the table.
- Other meats can be substituted, including lamb, pork, and turkey.
- Try adding cheese, horseradish, or mustard to the sandwich.
Warnings
- Always follow the instructions for your slow cooker or crock pot.