A homemade French dip sandwich offers a satisfying combination of thinly sliced roast beef, melted provolone, a toasted roll, and a warm beef broth for dipping. While the meal is simple to assemble, sourcing deli roast beef can be costly. This recipe addresses that expense by preparing the meat at home.
The process begins with a 2- to 3-pound bottom round roast. This cut is lean and affordable, and when sliced thinly against the grain, it is suitable for sandwiches. Preparation starts the night before by seasoning the meat with kosher salt and leaving it uncovered in the refrigerator. This dry brine seasons the beef and dries the surface, which helps develop a crust when seared.
The roast is seared in a hot pan and then cooked in a low oven until the center remains pink. After resting, it is sliced thin, placed on rolls with provolone, and briefly heated to melt the cheese and toast the bread.
The accompanying dipping sauce is made in the same pan used to sear the beef. Sliced onions are cooked in the drippings until browned, followed by garlic, beef broth, Better Than Bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and black pepper. The browned bits from the pan are scraped into the broth, which is then simmered and strained to create a rich au jus.
For a side dish, garlic Parmesan potato wedges are prepared. The potatoes are parboiled, roughed up, and dried before roasting. This method creates a crisp exterior while keeping the interior soft. The wedges are finished with garlic, butter, and freshly grated Parmesan.
While this method requires more time than purchasing prepared ingredients, the individual steps are not difficult. The effort is rewarded when the sandwich absorbs the flavorful broth.
Real Food. Real Budget. Better Meals.
Homemade French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges
Serves 4
Roast Beef
23 lb bottom round roast
1 tsp kosher salt, or enough to season evenly
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
12 tbsp neutral oil, for searing
Homemade Au Jus
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups beef broth
1 tsp Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base
12 tsp Worcestershire sauce
tsp dried rosemary
tsp black pepper
Beef drippings and browned bits from searing the roast
Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges
4 medium-large russet potatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
tsp kosher salt
tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sandwiches
4 hoagie or French rolls
8 slices provolone cheese
Thinly sliced roast beef
Homemade Au Jus Recipe
Begin by dry brining the beef roast the evening prior to cooking. Sprinkle kosher salt evenly across the meat, place it on a wire rack positioned above a tray, and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.
The following day, remove the roast from the fridge and apply black pepper and garlic powder to the surface. Heat a neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high to high heat. Sear the meat thoroughly on every side until a deep brown crust forms.
Transfer the seared roast to an oven preheated to 225F. To achieve a medium-rare, pink interior, start checking the internal temperature when it reaches 120125F, removing the meat according to your desired level of doneness. Allow the roast to rest before slicing it very thinly against the grain.
While the beef roasts, prepare the potato wedges by parboiling them in salted water for approximately 68 minutes, stopping when the exteriors just begin to soften. Drain the water, gently roughen the surfaces, and spread the wedges out to steam-dry and cool completely.
For the au jus, cook sliced onions in the beef drippings for about 57 minutes until they brown. Add three cloves of minced garlic and sauté for roughly 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with a small amount of beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Pour in the remaining broth, Better Than Bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and black pepper. Simmer the mixture until it becomes rich and beefy in flavor. Taste the sauce before adding salt, then strain it.
Increase the oven temperature to 425F. Toss the cooled potato wedges with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Roast them in a single layer until golden and crispy, turning them once during the cooking process. In a separate pan, melt butter and briefly cook the remaining three cloves of minced garlic until fragrant. Toss the hot wedges with this garlic butter and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
To assemble the French dips, pile the thinly sliced roast beef onto rolls and top each with two slices of provolone. Heat the sandwiches just long enough to melt the cheese and lightly toast the bread. Serve immediately alongside the hot homemade au jus and the garlic Parmesan potato wedges.
A resident of Marysville and the creator of the YouTube channel Broke Gourmet developed this recipe.