How to make The Best French Dip Sandwiches
It’s very simple to advance your French dip skills. First, cook a roast. To save time, I use the Instant Pot, but you can also use an oven. When I cook a pot roast for French dip sandwiches, I don’t cook the carrots and potatoes.
The Roast and Au Jus:
Follow the instructions on the pot roast recipe, shred the meat, and discard any fat that is clearly visible. There should be juice remaining in the pot or pan. Drain the juice, removing any fat as well. Use a fat separator (which is useful when making gravies) or put the juice into the fridge or freezer for a short period of time to quickly remove any remaining grease. The fat will float to the top of the juice in the bowl or jar, where it is simple to scoop it out and discard it.
If you bought deli meat or don’t want to use the roast’s juice, follow the instructions on the Au Jus recipe that is attached. Instead of making au jus traditionally with beef drippings, this recipe uses water and beef flavoring. For this simple Au Jus recipe, no beef drippings are needed!
I usually purchase crusty French rolls from a local bakery. If you want to make your own rolls for French Dip sandwiches, you can do so with ease using ABK’s No Fail French Bread (see the image below). Simply cut the dough into small pieces and bake the recipe as directed. Usually, one recipe yields 12 generously sized French rolls.
Making homemade Au Jus is the first step in transforming a French Dip sandwich from blah to This is THE BEST French Dip Sandwich EVER. Then, placing the meat inside the toasted bun, dip the meat using tongs into the warm Au Jus, allowing any excess juice to drip back into the pan of sauce. Your loved ones will believe they have passed away and are in heaven. Juicy meat, on a slightly softened toasted bun. For additional dipping, serve with a steaming cup of au jus!
However, I believe a French Dip is best enjoyed with meat, a bun, and plenty of piping hot Au Jus on the side! If you enjoy melted cheese and grilled onions, you can add those as well.
Easy Homemade Au Jus Recipe
The best way to enjoy a French Dip Sandwich made with love is with this simple homemade au jus recipe. Making it only takes a few minutes, and it will elevate your French dip to new heights!
- 3 cups of cold water or drained, fat-free leftover roast juice
- 3 tablespoons beef base (Better Than Bouillon)*
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon butter
- In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil.
- Stir in the beef base, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and pepper as the heat is reduced to medium-low.
- Pour 1/4 cup of cold water into a measuring cup. Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Add to simmering broth mixture in pan. Whisk, turn up heat to medium high.
- Hot au jus receives 1 tablespoon of butter; whisk until melted. Serve while hot.
- Purchased at supermarkets and Costco, Better than Bouillon beef base should be kept in the refrigerator once opened. I advise using Beef Consomme in cans (sold near canned soup) to equal 24 oz. if this particular brand is not readily available. Beef granules or beef bouillon cubes may also be used.
- Use dark balsamic, not white balsamic for this recipe.
- Up to 5 days may pass before the Au Jus is prepared.
How to Make An Amazing Au Jus | Chef Jean-Pierre
FAQ
Can you use beef bouillon instead of au jus?
Beef Bouillon Cubes The majority of beef bouillon cubes contain onion powder, though this can vary from brand to brand. Consequently, you can substitute these for au jus and obtain a comparable savory flavor without the need to add anything additional.
What’s the difference between au jus and beef bouillon?
The difference between what we refer to as an au jus sauce and beef broth is that “au jus” refers to the cooking drippings from the meat, with beef broth occasionally added.
What can I use in place of au jus mix?
There are a number of soup substitutes for au jus, and they include, among others, onion soup mix, brown gravy, bouillon cubes sauce, beef broth, and beef stock powder. They are a great substitute for Au jus.
How do you use beef bouillon?
How to Use Bouillon. You can use bouillon in a variety of ways to give food a salty, umami flavor, in addition to dissolving it in water to make broth. To access the bouillon flavor, simply add water. This allows you to incorporate them into dishes like curries, dips, dressings, marinades, sauces, soups, and stews.