Italian Beef

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast (cut into 6 equal-sized pieces and trimmed of any excess chunks of fat)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 14.5 ounce can low sodium beef broth
• 1 package (.7 ounce Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons beef bouillon (amount depending on your preference for beef flavor and sodium content)
• 1 cup mild pepper slices + 1/4 cup of juice (plus more slices for serving)
• 1 cup mild chopped giardiniera (drained, plus more for serving)
• provolone slices
• hoagie buns

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Season beef with salt and pepper on all sides. Let rest at room temperature while preparing/measuring the remainder of the ingredients.

2. 2

   2. If you have a slow cooker with a brown/saute option, set it to "brown/saute". Once hot, add the beef. Sear the meat, moving it as little as possible, until it develops a browned crust. Flip the meat and sear the opposite side. Otherwise use a Dutch oven over medium-high heat to sear the beef, and then transfer beef to a slow cooker.

3. 3

   3. In a medium bowl, combine the beef broth, Italian seasoning, beef bouillon, and pepper juice. Pour over the seared beef. Then top beef with pepper slices and giardiniera.

4. 4

   4. Cover and cook on high for 8 to 9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Remove beef to a cutting board and shred using 2 forks.

5. 5

   5. Pour accumulated meat juices from the slow cooker into a fat separator and discard fat. Or skim away fat with a large spoon in the slow cooker. If you want some au jus (meat juice) for dipping, save some out. Then pour the remainder of the au jus back into the slow cooker, along with any of the peppers and giardiniera that was cooking in the meat juices. Add the shredded beef to the au jus and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for another 20 to 30 minutes to heat thoroughly.

6. 6

   6. To serve: Split hoagie buns and toast under the broiler for a few minutes, if desired. Top hoagies with shredded Italian beef and provolone, and more pepper slices and giardiniera. Place under broiler again, if desired, to melt the cheese. Serve with additional (warmed) au jus for dipping, if you like.