The classic Chicago Italian beef sandwich is a unique variation on the French Dip that is available around the city, but rarely found outside it. In our take, we pickle the peppers with pale ale (say that three times fast).
Active preparation time: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes + at least 24 hours brining time
Serves: 2
Ale-Pickled Peppers
1 1/2 cup (12 fl oz/355 ml) American pale ale
2 cup (16 fl oz/473 ml) white vinegar
1 cup white sugar
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs whole black peppercorns
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
16 oz (454 g) roasted red peppers, sliced
Ice cubes
In a nonreactive saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the peppers. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add enough ice to double the volume of the liquid (this lets you use the brine immediately). Stir until the ice has melted. Add the sliced red peppers to the brine and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 weeks.
Beer Suggestions: Pair with Southern Tier Live (Lakewood, New York), Drake’s 1500 (San Leandro, California), or Stone Pale Ale 2.0 (Escondido, California).
Stout Roast Beef
This classic star of Sunday dinners gets a lift from the addition of a good stout.
Active preparation time: 25 minutes
Total time: 2–4 hours
Serves: 4–6
1 small bunch fresh thyme, about 1 oz (28 g)
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup white sugar
1 sirloin roast, 3–4 lb (1.4–1.8 kg)
1 1/2 cup (12 fl oz/355 ml) similar imperial stout
1 yellow onion, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced ½" (13 mm) thick
Coarsely chop the fresh thyme and mix it with the salt and sugar. Rub the mixture liberally over the roast and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Then scrape most of the mixture off of the roast, but do not rinse.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Over medium-high heat in a sauté pan large enough to hold the roast, sear the roast on all sides. In a baking pan large enough to hold the roast, arrange the roast, beer, onion, and celery. Cover with foil.
Bake until the internal temperature reaches 135°F (57°C) for medium rare (50–80 minutes). Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a platter. Cover the roast with foil and let it rest for 10–15 minutes. Reserve the cooking juices. Serve in Chicago Beef Sandwich.
Beer Suggestions: Pair with Epic Brewing Big Bad Baptist (Salt Lake City, Utah), Goose Island Bourbon Co. Coffee Stout (Chicago, Illinois), or Founders KBS (Grand Rapids, Michigan).
Chicago Beef Sandwich
8 oz (227 g) Stout Roast Beef, shaved
Roast beef cooking juices
Beef broth
Salt
2 Italian rolls, split lengthwise
Ale-Pickled Peppers
Rewarm the shaved roast beef in the cooking juices. Taste for seasoning, adding more beef broth or salt to adjust. Pile the roast beef and peppers on the bottom half of each Italian roll, then top with the other half of the roll. For an authentic Chicago Italian beef sandwich, dip the entire sandwich in the reserved cooking juices.