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Portillos Italian Beef Copycat

Slow Cooker Portillo’s Italian Beef Copycat Recipe

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours
Total Time 9 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 lb beef chuck roast
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • ½ cup jarred pepperoncini peppers, plus ¼ cup brine
  • 1 cup giardiniera (hot or mild)
  • 6 sturdy French rolls, split

Method
 

  1. Pat the beef dry, season with salt and pepper. Sear in hot oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until deeply browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  2. In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, beef broth, pepperoncini peppers, and brine. Nestle the seared roast into the liquid.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until fork-tender and internal temperature reaches 195°F.
  4. Rest the beef 10 minutes, then slice very thin against the grain. Return slices to the jus. Dip cut sides of rolls in jus, pile on beef, spoon over extra jus if you like, and top with giardiniera. Serve with jus on the side.

Notes

If you love a tangier beef, add the full ½ cup of pepperoncini brine. Leftover beef and jus freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat gently with a splash of broth.