Italian Beef
Dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, lactose free, nut free, peanut free, soy free, keto, paleo, low carb
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 h in the oven or 11 hours in the slow cooker
Total time: 6 h in the oven or 11 hours in the slow cooker
Servings: 5
This is one of those Italian-American dishes that, when you ask fresh-off-the-boat-Italians about it, they look at you weird and say “never heard of it” (done that..).
After 15 years in Chicago I have embraced it, learned how to make it, and I LOVE it:)
According to the internet, the Italian beef sandwich originated in Chicago in the 1930s, and it has since become a city and statewide food staple. The origins are said to lie with Chicago’s Italian immigrant population that worked in the stockyards in the early 1900s. When working men would bring home tough meat from the factories that couldn’t be sold, they roasted it in spices, sliced it thinly, and served it on rolls to improve the taste. They began serving it at their local weddings and banquets to be able to afford to feed everyone, and the sandwich took off in popularity.
I normally prepare the beef in a slow cooker, but you can also make it in the oven, baking it at low temperature. I then combine it with my keto bread, a slice of provolone cheese, and pair it with my grandma’s giardiniera recipe 🤤.
I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!
A special thanks to Becky’s mom Karen for the wonderful handmade kitchen towel you see in the pictures ❤️!
Ingredients
Click on the ingredients and tools in the list for buying options (you might find alternative brands in the section Spesa/Grocery of this website).
Beef chuck roast, 2.5 lb
Bone broth, 2.5 cups
Water, 1.5 cup
Salt, 2.5 tsp
Ground black pepper, 1 tsp
Dry oregano, 2.5 tsp oregano
Dry basil, 1 tsp
Onion powder, 1.5 tsp
Dry parsley, 1.5 tsp
Garlic powder, 1 tsp
Erythritol, 2 tsp
Bay leaf, 1
Celery stick, 2
Dry thyme, ¼ tsp
Tools you might be missing
Instructions
1. If using a dutch oven, preheat oven to 275 F.
2. Combine water and broth with all dry ingredients. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
3. Place meat in slow cooker or dutch oven with celery sticks, and pour the liquid mixture over the meat. if needed, add water until it is barely covered.
4. If using a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 10 hours. If using the oven, cover and cook at 275 for about 6 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
5. Remove celery and bay leaves. Shred the meat with a fork and cook it for another hour.
6. Serve as is or with provolone cheese and giardiniera on a roll of keto bread (don’t forget to add some juice to the bread!)
Notes
You can filter the juice with a cheese cloth and use it as broth in other recipes.
Storing
This dish will last in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze it and defrost it overnight in the fridge.
You can heat it up in the microwave or in a pan on the stove over low heat.
Nutritional Information
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database via myFitnessPal. Here we do not count calories from spices.
Serving size: 1 | Calories: 378 | Total fat: 12.5 g | Total carbohydrates: 0.6 g | Total fiber: 0 g | Total sugars: 0 g | Protein: 66.3 g | Net Carbohydrates: 0.6 g