Beef Po’ Boy

Roast Beef Po Boy

For the roast beef:

2-3 pounds beef top round or eye round roast

salt and pepper, to taste

neutral oil, for searing

1 cup yellow onion, diced small

¾ cup celery, diced small

¾ cup carrots, peeled, diced small

2 bay leaves

4 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons flour

For building the sandwiches:

2 soft, white sandwich rolls

shredded iceberg lettuce

dill pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise

your favorite mayonnaise

skewers for serving, if desired

Make the roast beef:

Preheat your oven to 325˚F. Heavily season the roast beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1-2 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Sear the beef on all sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Add the onions, celery and carrots, cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the beef and any juices from the plate back into the pan. Add the bay leaves and enough broth to come ½ way up the beef. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover and transfer to the pot to the oven. Cook for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender to a knife tip but not falling apart. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, remove the roast and thinly sliced the meat, set aside. Remove and discard any hardened fat that formed on the surface of the sauce. Strain the sauce, discard the vegetables. Heat the strained sauce until simmering. Whisk in the flour and cook until the sauce thickens. Cook over low heat for 1 more minute and season with salt and pepper as desired. Warm the sliced beef in the gravy before serving.

To serve the sandwiches:

Cut open your bread and spread mayonnaise down on each side of the bread. Arrange a layer of lettuce and pickles down on the bottom bun. Top with sliced roast beef and some of the gravy and close. Skewer the sandwich to help keep it in place and serve immediately.