French Dip Recipe
I love making this French Dip recipe with hot, simmered sliced roast beef piled onto a French roll and served with au jus on the side. It is a simple lunch meal I can have ready in less than 30 minutes, and it is great for serving guests or family on weekdays or holidays.
Ingredients
- 4 cups au jus
- 2 pounds thickly sliced cooked hot roast beef
- 4 French rolls
- 4 slices of provolone cheese
- pickles and hot peppers for garnish
- Spicy mustard for garnish
Instructions
- Start by heating the au jus in a saucepan over low to medium heat until hot.
- If you are slicing the roast beef yourself, you can use a sharp knife, a mandolin, or a meat slicer. I prefer the roast beef to be thickly sliced for this sandwich.
- The sliced beef should be warm before serving. However, if it is cold, then you will want to add some slices to the hot au jus to heat it up until warm.
- Dip the bottom part of the French roll into the hot au jus
- Next, drop the top sliced part of the French into the au jus.
- Stack several slices of the hot beef onto the sandwich. At this point, you can also add on your condiments, sauce, or cheeses.
- Slice the sandwich and serve with assorted toppings, cheeses, sauces, and hot au jus.
Notes
Since I have made this French dip many times in restaurants and at home, I have to share my best tip for this recipe. I keep the au jus hot but not boiling when warming the roast beef, and I dip the beef just long enough to heat it through, which keeps the slices tender and prevents them from tightening or losing moisture.
Use thick sliced beef: I use thick sliced roast beef so it stays tender and stay firm when dipped. Thinner slices can fall apart too easily.
Warm the beef briefly: I dip the beef just long enough to warm it through. Leaving it in too long can make it tighten.
Dip the bread last: I dip the bread right before building the sandwich so it does not fall apart. This keeps the sandwich easy to handle.
Serve extra au jus: I always serve extra au jus on the side. This lets everyone dip their sandwich exactly how they like it.
Broil it: I add cheese on top of the roast beef and place the sandwich under the broiler for about 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.
Make-Ahead: If all the ingredients are kept separate, you can prepare this French Dip sandwich recipe up to 3 days ahead of time.
How to Store: Store the toppings, bread, and buns separately covered in plastic wrap for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. These ingredients, unfortunately, will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: Add 1 to 2 cups of the au jus to a saucepan over low to medium heat. Place in the desired amount of sliced beef and heat until warm. Serve following the sandwich-making procedures.
Nutrition
Calories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 63gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 4764mgPotassium: 661mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 167IUVitamin C: 102mgCalcium: 785mgIron: 16mg