So anyway. I’m totally in the thick of quick and easy meals right now, especially those that feed a crowd, because that seems to be where I am right now with my summer. I’ve been hearing about this recipe for a long time (hi, Bethany! 🙂 ) and I finally tried it a few weeks ago.
And it totally didn’t disappoint. It was easy, flavorful, and I even got a few very early-morning phone calls requesting the recipe after I took it to a meeting last week. Doesn’t it look delicious?? For these beef sandwiches, you’ll need a 3-lb. beef roast, a 16-oz. jar of pepperoncinis, and 4-5 cloves of garlic. Oh, and some kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can also add a little packet of Italian Dressing if you like as well. A note on the peppers: These are not hot spicy peppers, they have a very mild bite to them, but mostly they are just small, and pickled, and tangy. You can usually find them in the condiment aisle at the grocery store, near the roasted red bell peppers, pickled vegetables, and pickles. They are awesome sprinkled on salads and sandwiches! The particular jar in this picture doesn’t have the word Pepperoncini on it, but usually it does! So just look for that in the store and you’ll know you’ve got the right thing. Since there seems to be a lot of discussion about pepperoncini vs other peppers, we wanted to add this picture. Notice that they are bright yellowish, sliced (although you can find them whole as well) and they clearly say “Pepperoncini.” There’s usually a little heat indicator that shows they aren’t very spicy. Every once and a while though, I’ll get a jar that actually has a little kick to it, but generally they’re super mild.
If you want ZERO heat, then look for the jar that looks exactly like this, only they’re labeled “Mild Pepper Rings”. The heat indicator on the side of the jar will be at “Low” in the blue section. That is actually what I use most often. If you want to make these into sandwiches, you’ll also need some nice buns (don’t we all??) and slices of provolone cheese. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot or high-sided skillet over high heat. While the oil is heating, rub some kosher salt and freshly ground pepper evenly over the pot roast and then sear it on all sides until you have a nice, brown crust on the meat.
Toss in some minced garlic… and then pour in the whole jar of pepperoncinis (I liked the sliced ones), juice, stems, bits and pieces, everything.
Optionally, you can also add that packet of Italian Dressing- adds lots of yummy flavor, but it’s also great without it! If you can, turn the slow cooker to the high setting and cook it until it boils, then turn it to low and cook it for several more hours or until the beef is fork tender and shreds easily.
But if you can’t do that, just cook it on low for 8-10 hours or until you can shred it.
We love it on toasted, crusty sandwich rolls with melted provolone and a little bit of mayonnaise, but it’s super versatile.
You could serve it wrapped in tortillas, with either a Greek or Mexican flair or even on a salad with this dressing (this recipe, incidentally, is not what I was planning on posting in conjunction with this recipe, but, like I said, life is insanity right now and I’ll post it next week. Promises.) Oh, and if you have left-overs, they would work great in our Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos (thanks to a reader comment for that!)
