One of America's Favorites - French Dip

A French dip

An American cuisine, the 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 au jus ("with juice"), that is, with beef juice from the cooking process. Beef broth or beef consommé is sometimes substituted. Despite the name, this American specialty is almost completely unknown in France, the name seeming to refer to the style of bread rather than an alleged 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.

Two Los Angeles restaurants have claimed to be the birthplace of the French dip sandwich: Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet and Philippe The Original. Philippe's website describes the dish as a "specialty of the house", and the words "Home Of The Original French Dip Sandwich" are present in the restaurant's logo. At both of these restaurants, the roll is dipped in the hot beef juices before the sandwich is assembled, and is served "wet". The sandwich can also be requested "double dipped" at either establishment. Philippe's own brand of spicy mustard is traditionally used by patrons to complement the sandwich.

His controversy over who originated the sandwich remains unresolved. Both restaurants were

Roast Beef Dip au jus, with french fries

established in 1908. However, Cole's claims to have originated the sandwich shortly after the restaurant opened in 1908, while Philippe's claims that owner Philippe Mathieu invented it in 1918.

The story of the sandwich's invention by Philippe's has several variants: some sources say that the sandwich was first created by a cook or a server who, while preparing a sandwich for a police officer or fireman, accidentally dropped it into a pan of meat drippings. The patron liked it, and the dish surged in popularity shortly after its invention. Other accounts say that a customer who didn't want some meat drippings to go to waste requested his sandwich be dipped in them. Still others say that a chef dipped a sandwich into a pan of meat drippings after a customer complained that the bread was stale. Cole's account states that the sandwich was invented by a sympathetic chef, Jack Garlinghouse, for a customer who was complaining of sore gums. Some accounts tell Philippe's version of events, but assign the location to Cole's. The mystery of the sandwich's invention might not be solved due to a lack of information and observable evidence.

The French dip is now served at a number of restaurant chains including fast food, diners, and standard restaurants.








Easy French Dip Sandwiches


From the http://allrecipes.com/ website, Easy French Dip Sandwiches.

"This sandwich made with sliced roast beef and provolone cheese is a crowd pleaser. The flavor is so rich, no one will know it only took 15 minutes to put together."
INGREDIENTS:
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef consomme
1 cup water
1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
8 slices provolone cheese
4 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise


DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Open the hoagie rolls and lay out on a baking sheet.
2. Heat beef consomme and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat to make a rich beef broth. Place the roast beef in the broth and warm for 3 minutes. Arrange the meat on the hoagie rolls and top each roll with 2 slices of provolone.
3. Bake the sandwiches in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese just begins to melt. Serve the sandwiches with small bowls of the warm broth for dipping.


Nutrition Information
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Calories: 548
Amount Per Serving
Total Fat: 22.6g
Cholesterol: 94mg
Sodium: 2310mg
Amount Per Serving
Total Carbs: 40.5g
    Dietary Fiber: 2g
Protein: 44.6g


http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-french-dip-sandwiches/

One of America's Favorites - Beef on Weck

A traditional beef on weck

A beef on weck is a sandwich found primarily in Western New York. It is made with roast beef on a kummelweck roll. The meat on the sandwich is traditionally served rare, thin cut, with the top bun getting a dip au jus. Accompaniments include horseradish, a dill pickle spear, and french fries.

The kummelweck roll gives the sandwich its name and a distinctive taste. A kummelweck (sometimes pronounced "kimmelweck" or "kümmelweck") is topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds. Kümmel is the German word for caraway, and weck means "roll" in the south-western German dialects of the Baden and Swabia areas (northern Germans generally say Brötchen), although the kind of weck used for this sandwich in America tends to be much softer and fluffier than a standard German Kümmelbrötchen or Kümmelweck. The sandwich has been introduced to new areas of the United States with population movement. In Austria, a similar type of small white-bread is known as Kümmelweckerl (diminutive from Wecken, which refers to a whole big bread, i.e. Brotwecken)




The origin and history of the beef on weck sandwich is not well established. It is believed that a German baker named William Wahr, who is thought to have emigrated from the Black Forest region of Germany, created the kummelweck roll while living in Buffalo, New York. A local pub owner is said to have used the roll to create the beef on weck, with the thought that the salty top of the roll would make his patrons purchase more drinks.




A typical beef on weck is made from slow-roasted rare roast beef that is hand carved in thin slices to provide about 1⁄2 inch (13 mm) of meat on the bottom half of the roll. The cut face of the top half of the roll may be dipped in the jus from the roast. Prepared horseradish is usually provided for the diner to spread on the top half of the roll to taste. The traditional side dishes for a beef on weck are french fries and a kosher dill pickle spear.




The beef on weck has long been popular regionally, and has gained a following in other areas of the United States where it has been introduced. Expatriates from Western New York have taken the dish and brought it to other areas after relocating. It has also been featured by chefs on cooking shows including the PBS special Sandwiches That You Will Like. Bobby Flay, Anthony Bourdain and other chefs have featured the beef on weck, or a variant, on their television programs.

The American restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings was started by former residents of the Western New York area and the original name of the restaurant was "Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck" or as "BW3", the third W referring to weck. The chain no longer serves weck outside of the Western New York area and no longer uses the original name, but some still refer to the company with the extra "W" in its abbreviation.






Beef on Weck Sandwich - Beef on Weck Sandwich Recipe:

I came across this recipe for Beef on Weck off one of my favorite sites What's Cooking America.   http://whatscookingamerica.net/

Some people consider Beef on Weck (thinly sliced slow-roasted rare roast beef piled as high as 6 inches) on a freshly baked kummelweck roll, the Best Roast Beef Sandwich in America. Also called Beef on Wick, an alternative spelling usually used by older people from Buffalo and eastern suburbanites.

This sandwich is a tradition and a staple of Buffalo, New York, as it is Buffalo's signature sandwich. The key to a good Beef on Weck is freshness and freshly-carved beef! In Buffalo, the beef must be on the rare side, preferably carved right off the bone and served on a salty kimmelweck roll. In fact, it is this roll that makes the sandwich unique. Few, if any, restaurants outside the Buffalo area serve this sandwich or even know what it is.


Beef on Weck Sandwich - Beef on Weck Sandwich Recipe:

Yields: 8 sandwiches
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 minutes


Ingredients:

1 (3- to 4-pounds) beef roast (tenderloin, Prime Rib, or eye of round)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and coarsely-ground black pepper
Cornstarch Glaze (see recipe below)
8 Kimmelweck or Kaiser rolls*
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons coarse salt**
Prepared horseradish

* Kimmelweck roll is a salty roll that is similar to a Kaiser roll.

** Rock salt (like the kind used for pretzels) is the preferred salt used in Buffalo. If you can’t get this, any salt with granules larger than table salt will do. I used coarse salt.


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rub roast with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place roast on rack in a shallow baking pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the roast. Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until thermometer registers 130 to 135 degrees F. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving. Reserve meat juice, and carve meat into very thin slices (as thin as you can slice).

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Brush the prepared Cornstarch Glaze on the top of each kimmelweck or Kaiser roll; sprinkle equal amounts of caraway seeds and heat in the oven for 3 minutes or until tops of the rolls get crusty and the caraway seeds and salt begin to stick. Remove from oven and cut each roll in half lengthwise.

To assemble sandwiches, divide sliced beef on the bottom half of each roll, spoon with reserved beef juice, and top with the top half of each roll. Serve with horseradish on the side.

Makes 8 sandwiches.


Cornstarch Glaze:
1/2 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water and cornstarch. Heat mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low, and stir until mixture thickens and is translucent. Remove from heat and let cool.


http://whatscookingamerica.net/Sandwich/BeefOnWeck.htm

One of America's Favorites - French Dip

A French dip

In American cuisine 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 au jus ("with juice"), that is, with beef juice from the cooking process. Beef broth or beef consommé is sometimes substituted. Despite the name, this American specialty is almost completely unknown in France, the name seeming to refer to the style of bread rather than an alleged 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.

Two Los Angeles restaurants have claimed to be the birthplace of the French dip sandwich: Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet and Philippe The Original. Philippe's website describes the dish as a "specialty of the house", and the words "Home Of The Original French Dip Sandwich" are present in the restaurant's logo. At both of these restaurants, the roll is dipped in the hot beef juices before the sandwich is assembled, and is served "wet". The sandwich can also be requested "double dipped" at either establishment. Philippe's own brand of spicy mustard is traditionally used by patrons to complement the sandwich.

This controversy over who originated the sandwich remains unresolved. Both restaurants were established in 1908. However, Cole's claims to have originated the sandwich shortly after the restaurant opened in 1908, while Philippe's claims that owner Philippe Mathieu invented it in 1918. Cole's was the oldest restaurant or bar in Los Angeles to operate continuously since its opening at the same location. Its streak ended when it closed for remodeling on March 15, 2007. It reopened on December 4, 2008.

French dip, with bowl of jus for dipping

This controversy over who originated the sandwich remains unresolved. Both restaurants were established in 1908. However, Cole's claims to have originated the sandwich shortly after the restaurant opened in 1908, while Philippe's claims that owner Philippe Mathieu invented it in 1918. Cole's was the oldest restaurant or bar in Los Angeles to operate continuously since its opening at the same location. Its streak ended when it closed for remodeling on March 15, 2007. It reopened on December 4, 2008.

The story of the sandwich's invention by Philippe's has several variants: some sources say that the sandwich was first created by a cook or a server who, while preparing a sandwich for a police officer or fireman, accidentally dropped it into a pan of meat drippings. The patron liked it, and the dish surged in popularity shortly after its invention. Other accounts say that a customer who didn't want some meat drippings to go to waste requested his sandwich be dipped in them. Still others say that a chef dipped a sandwich into a pan of meat drippings after a customer complained that the bread was stale. Cole's account states that the sandwich was invented by a sympathetic chef, Jack Garlinghouse, for a customer who was complaining of sore gums. Some accounts tell Philippe's version of events, but assign the location to Cole's. The mystery of the sandwich's invention might not be solved due to a lack of information and observable evidence.

The French dip is now served at a number of restaurant chains including fast food, diners and standard restaurants.







French Dip Sandwich Recipe


Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) beef rib eye, sirloin, or tenderloin roast
1/2 cup coarsely-ground black pepper
Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
8 French rolls
Butter




Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place beef roast onto a rack in a shallow baking pan; firmly press pepper onto roast. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 45 minutes or until thermometer in the thickest part of roast registers 135 degrees F. Remove from oven and transfer onto a cutting board; let stand 15 minute before carving; slice beef thinly.

Reserve juice and pour into a medium saucepan. Prepare Dipping Sauce.

For each sandwich:  Cut French rolls in half. Toast and butter each French roll. Layer about 1/2 pound of sliced beef on bottom slice of each roll; place remaining tops of rolls on top of the beef. Slice sandwiches in half and serve on individual plates with a small bowl (1/4 cup) of hot Dipping Sauce.

Makes 8 sandwiches.



Dipping Sauce:
Drippings from cooking pan
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, add beef drippings, beef broth, water, salt and pepper; bring just to a boil. turn off heat, cover, and let site 10 minutes before serving.



http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Sandwiches/FrenchDipSandwich.htm