French: Au Jus Sandwich

A French dip sandwich, also known as a beef dip, is a hot sandwich consisting of thinly sliced roast beef (or, sometimes, other meats) on a "French roll" or baguette. It is usually served plain but a variation is to top with Swiss cheese, onions, and a dipping container of beef broth produced from the cooking process (termed au jus, "with juice"). Beef stock, a light beef gravy, or beef consommé is sometimes substituted. The sandwich is an American invention, with the name seeming to refer to the style of bread, rather than any French origin.

Although the sandwich is most commonly served with a cup of jus or broth on the side of the plate, into which the sandwich is dipped as it is eaten, this is not how the sandwich was served when it was invented.

The Au Jus Sandwich is also known as Roast Beef Au Jus, and is better known in America as the French Dip Sandwich. It traces its origins to downtown Los Angeles in either 1908 or 1918, when a local restaurant owner was making a sandwich for a police officer and accidentally dropped it into a pan of beef broth.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon flour
• 2-3 pounds roast or other cut of beef
• 1 beef bullion cube
• 1 can beef consommé (~2 cups/10.5 oz), bullion cube equivalent, or additional roast beef
• 1 can French onion soup (~2 cups)
• 4 French/sandwich/hoagie rolls
• 1 cup of butter
• 1 can of beer (optional)
• spices (e.g., salt, pepper) (optional)

Procedure

1. Combine all the ingredients except the rolls in a slow cooker or crock pot. Let the mixture simmer for at least six hours. This step is critical because it makes the meat tender.
2. You can either pre-dip the sandwich, or serve with a bowl of meat drippings. Serve beef on split hoagie rolls or miniature French bread loaves. When serving the drippings separately, remove the beef shreds from the juices and serve with a small bowl of meat drippings on the side. Dip the sandwiches in the drippings as you eat.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Bread can be toasted and buttered before adding beef.
• In the original sandwich, the bread was dipped in the juice prior to adding the meat, rather than dipped at the table.
• Other meats can be substituted, including lamb, pork, and turkey.
• Try adding cheese, horseradish, or mustard to the sandwich.