French Dip Sandwiches

This is a mash-up from two websites: Becky Higgins LLC and Our Best Bites. My niece and nephew LOVED these sandwiches.

1 3-lb. boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
2 Tbsp. oil
salt and pepper
2 1-oz. pkg. dry onion soup mix
2 C. water
1 10.5-oz. can condensed beef consommé, undiluted
1 14-oz. can low-sodium beef broth
provolone cheese
French rolls, split in half lengthwise

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper. When oil is very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. Place seared roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water, consommé, and broth over roast. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours (until the water boils) AND low for 3-4 more hours (until the meat is tender). The longer the roast cooks, the more tender it will be.

Remove meat and shred with two forks. Broil rolls "face up" on low for just a few minutes until the rolls are lightly toasted. Place provolone cheese on the rolls. Broil for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted. Spoon the shredded meat onto the rolls. Skim fat from cooking juices and serve as a dipping sauce (au jus).

Notes: For the dry onion soup mix, I used Lipton Beefy Onion. I wasn't a big fan of just serving the cooking juices as the dipping sauce (au jus) because it seemed too fatty and had no taste. The last time I made this, I decided to thicken the cooking juices to make more of a thin gravy for the dipping sauce. It tasted much better! Here is the recipe:

2-1/4 C. cooking juices (divided)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Pour 2 cups of the cooking juices into a saucepan. In a small bowl, pour the remaining 1/4 cup of the cooking juices and stir in cornstarch until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cooking juices already in the saucepan and stir over medium heat until the mixture reaches the desired thickness.

Next time, I'll try doing this in the slow cooker itself to save cleaning another pan!

Updated: September 15, 2012 and December 5, 2012