Philippe the Original Copycat Beef French Dipped Sandwiches

Heat the oven to 250 F. Bring the roast to room temperature. If there is a string net around the meat remove it.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the roast and brown the roast on all sides. Remove the roast from the heat and set it on a cutting board.

Combine the next 7 ingredients (salt through nutmeg) in a bowl and then thoroughly coat the meat with this dry rub mix. Place the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in a roasting pan and then place the roast on top of the vegetables.

Put the hot water into a small bowl. Add the bouillon cubes to the hot water, stir until dissolved then pour that and the chicken broth into the roasting pan. Cover the pan and place it in the oven for about 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 150 F when inserted into the thickest part of the roast. Then remove pan from the oven and set it on a rack.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent with foil, and allow it to rest.

Pour the vegetables and liquids from the roasting pan into a saucepan or small stock pot and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat. Strain out and discard the vegetables and reserve the liquid (“jus”). Thinly slice the roast and add the sliced meat back into the jus.

Now you can serve the sandwiches on sliced French bread style hard rolls. If you do this, make sure to dip the cut side of the bread in the jus. Feel free to complement the sandwich with your choice of hot mustard and sliced cheese (I like Muenster, Havarti or provolone).

You can also put the pan with meat and jus in the fridge and allow it to rest at least overnight, preferably 24 hours. Then gently reheat on the stove top over medium low and serve. Letting the meat rest in the jus overnight and then reheating it intensifies the flavors and further tenderizes the meat. This method also allows you to do the bulk of the work a day or two ahead of time and allows you to actually relax and enjoy your dinner.