How To Make Slow-Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

How To Make Slow-Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Makes 6 to 8 sandwiches

What You Need

Ingredients
For the sandwiches:3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
2 to 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to season the roast
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
Ground pepper, to season the roast

To serve:6 to 8 crusty French sandwich rolls, sub buns, or hoagie buns
Sliced provolone or Swiss cheese, optional

Equipment
Large skillet
Stiff spatula
6-quart slow cooker or larger
Tongs or slotted spoon
Baking sheet
Fine-mesh strainer
Measuring cup

Instructions

1. Season the chuck roast: Remove the roast from its packaging and pat dry. Generously season on all sides with salt and pepper.
2. Sear the roast: Warm 2 teaspoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast and sear for 5 to 10 minutes, until it releases easily from the pan and has formed a brown crust. Flip and sear the other side. When done, transfer the seared roast to the slow cooker.
3. Cook the onions: If the pan is dry, add another teaspoon of oil. Add the onions and a half teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just start to soften and turn translucent around the edges — they will finish cooking through in the slow cooker.
4. Deglaze the pan: Still with the pan over medium-high heat, add the wine. As it bubbles and simmers, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then pour the wine and the onions over the roast in the slow cooker.
5. Add the broth, salt, and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
6. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
7. Slice the meat midway through cooking (optional): If you're nearby at around the 4-hour mark, remove the roast from the slow cooker and slice into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick pieces. It's easier to slice the roast at this point, but isn't strictly necessary for the recipe. Return the sliced meat to the slow cooker and continue to cook for the remaining time.
8. Toast the buns: When it's close to time to serve, warm the oven to 400°F. Butter both halves of the buns and place cut-side up on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until the buns are just starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. If you like, spoon a little of the cooking juices onto the bottom half of the buns before adding the meat.
9. Lift the meat from the juices: If you sliced the roast already, lift it from the juices with tongs and divide it equally between the bottom halves of the buns. If you did not yet slice the roast, lift it to a cutting board and slice it as thinly as you can, or shred the meat if it will no longer hold together in slices. Divide the meat between the bottom halves of the buns, and spoon a little extra cooking juice on top, if you like.
10. Top with cheese and toast: Top the piles of roast beef with cheese, if using. Switch the oven to broil, and toast the bottom halves of sandwiches until the cheese starts to melt, about 1 minute.
11. Strain the liquid: Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup or serving bowl. Pick out the onions and either serve with the sandwiches or use for another purpose. As the jus sits, skim the fat that rises to the top.
12. Serve with jus: Top the sandwiches with the top halves of the buns. Serve with bowls of the cooking juices on the side for dipping.