A French Dip recipe with an easy made from scratch Au Jus is perfect for lunch or dinner tonight! Sliced roast beef served on baguettes, also called Beef Dip.
French Dip Recipe with Easy Au Jus, is also be called Beef Dip with Easy Au Jus Recipe. It's an American staple created in Los Angeles from the early 1900's, which 2 restaurants lay claim to, Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet and Phillipe the Original. However its not clear who came up with the original dish, but both restaurants serve slices of roast meat on a bun dipped in au jus drippings.
Is French Dip French?
Nope, It's not even a French dish, and people are divided to the reason why it's called French Dip. Some say it's because of the French baguette bread, others say it's a nod to the background of the chef at Phillipe's. Either way, we will likely never know the full story of this delicious meal. This is one of my favourite sandwiches and boy do I miss being able to go to a restaurant and order this.
They just don't make French Dip here in Australia. Yes, we have roast beef sandwiches, but that's not a French Dip (Beef Dip). So I've learned how to play around with some recipes to recreate this yummy dish a la Peter! Any French Dip recipe isn't complete without the dipping sauce (au jus).
What is Au Jus?
Au Jus is pronounced oh-zhoo which in French means with juice - meaning the juices of the cooked meat. This is what we dip the sandwich into, get it wet, bite and repeat. So good! Au Jus is not gravy, or just plain stock, but has a deep rich flavour which complements the sandwich. Originally it was the beef dripping or the juice leftover from the cooking process. I use a consommé as a base to start my flavouring, using plain stock won't taste the same.
What Kind of Roast Beef for Beef Dip?
Now it usually takes a long time to make roast beef in the oven, and I'm usually time poor. Leftover roast beef would be great for this recipe. There are some recipes which use slow cookers to cook the beef to get the Au Jus. However, I'm not a huge fan of slow cookers but maybe that might change in the future. My local deli sells fantastic rare roast beef slices which are a great time saver, and are perfect when making French Dip.
How to Make French Dip
So you have a few options of how to make a French Dip recipe. Make it the traditional way with roast beef, or the fancier way with provolone and horseradish mayo. Start making the Au Jus recipe first and while it's simmering, start to organise your sandwich.
Buy a regular baguette and slice it into pieces, and cut in half to make a sandwich. Add your sliced beef, cheese and condiments. By the time the sandwiches are done, your Au Jus is ready for straining and serving. Pour into individual ramekins (one per person). Serve alongside your French Dip Sandwiches for dipping.
Beef Dip Recipe Tips
- slather garlic aioli, sriracha mayo or horseradish mayo on your baguette
- use Swiss Cheese and sautéed onions
- Provolone Cheese is perfect for melting, but you can use cheddar if you don't have Provolone
- add any pickled vegetables like a pickle slice, or pickled chillies
- ever tried Japanese Mayo? yes it's different and is amazing on sandwiches
Tasty Lunch Sandwich Ideas
- Crispy Grilled Cheese with Mayo
- Messy Chicken Sandwich with Gravy
- Truffle Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich
This French Dip recipe is perfect for lunch and filling enough for everyone. Delicious and quick to make, no need to order it in a restaurant. Homemade always tastes better anyways! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- French baguette
- 1 lb /500g sliced roast beef
- thinly sliced provolone cheese optional
- horseradish mayo or aioli optional
Au Jus ingredients
- 4 cups beef consommé
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2-3 mushrooms sliced
- generous splash of port about 3-4 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat butter and add onions and garlic.
- Saute until the onion begins to caramelize and are lightly browning.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add port and worcestershire and stir together for about 2 minutes.
- Add the beef consomme, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes.
- Strain through a fine sieve and serve in a large ramekin for dipping.
- Cut the baguette into quarters and lightly spread aioli or horseradish mayo on one side of the bun (don't want the flavour to overpower).
- Add a thick layer of sliced roast beef on both sides of the baguette and cover with sliced provolone cheese and place under the broiler to melt the cheese.
- Combine the halves together to make a sandwich and serve with the au jus in a cup or large ramekin and enjoy the dipping!
©PetersFoodAdventures.com
