Italian Beef Sandwiches → Beef & Gravy: Two Meals from One Cut of Beef.
One cut of beef. Two completely different meals.
This is one of those meals that started with a package of beef from the freezer and turned into two dinners for our family.
We used 4 pounds of sirloin for the first meal, you can also use stew meat for a more budget-friendly option. The cooking method is just a little different.
With sirloin, you grill it and slice it thin for Italian beef sandwiches.
With stew meat, you brown it and gently braise it in the au jus until it's tender enough to shred. You can then use that shredded beef for the sandwiches.
Either way, the leftovers become beef and gravy served over mashed potatoes the next night.
It's a simple way to make one package of beef go a little further without feeling like you're eating the exact same meal twice.
Step 1: Choose Your Beef
Using Sirloin
Grill the sirloin to your preferred doneness, let it rest, then slice it thin. Warm the sliced beef in the au jus for about 5 minutes before building your sandwiches.
Using Stew Meat
Stew meat works especially well if you like a shredded beef sandwich.
Instead of grilling it, brown the stew meat first. Add the au jus and enough additional water to mostly cover the beef. Cover and let it gently simmer until the beef is fork-tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
Once tender, shred the beef and return it to the au jus. Let it soak for a few minutes before building your sandwiches.
The result is a different style of Italian beef sandwich, but just as delicious and the shredded beef transitions beautifully into the second meal.
Meal #1: Italian Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients
4 lbs sirloin or stew meat
1 packet Louie's Italian Beef Au Jus seasoning
3 cups water, plus additional water if using stew meat
2 onions, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Salt, to taste
Italian sub buns or sandwich rolls
Michigan Jack cheese, sliced
If Using Sirloin
1. Grill the beef. Thaw the sirloin and grill to your preferred doneness. Remove from the grill and let it rest briefly before slicing.
2. Make the au jus. In a pan, combine the Louie's Italian Beef Au Jus seasoning with 3 cups of water. Stir well and bring it to a simmer.
3. Slice and warm the beef. Slice the grilled sirloin thinly and place it into the au jus mixture. Let the beef warm and soak in the au jus for about 5 minutes.
If Using Stew Meat
1. Brown the beef. Heat a little oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat in a single layer and brown the pieces on the outside.
2. Make the au jus. Combine the Louie's Italian Beef Au Jus seasoning with 3 cups of water and pour it over the browned stew meat. If needed, add a little more water so the liquid comes partway up the beef.
3. Braise until tender. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Let the stew meat gently simmer until it is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork. Depending on the size of your stew meat pieces, this will generally take around 1½–2½ hours. Check it occasionally and add a little water if needed.
4. Shred the beef. Once tender, use two forks to pull the beef apart. Return the shredded beef to the au jus and let it simmer for another few minutes so it can soak up the flavor.
Caramelize the onions.
While the beef is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and a little salt. Cook slowly until the onions are soft and caramelized.
Build the Sandwiches
1. Toast the buns. Toast the sandwich buns until lightly golden.
2. Build your sandwiches. Add sliced Michigan Jack cheese (from our farm store), followed by the warm beef and caramelized onions.
3. Serve with a small bowl of the au jus for dipping.
Enjoy meal #1!
Meal #2: Beef & Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes
Don't throw away that leftover beef and au jus.
Put it to work again.
Whether you started with sliced sirloin or shredded stew meat, the leftovers can become a completely different meal the next night.
Ingredients
Leftover Italian beef and au jus
1½–2 cups water
2 teaspoons beef bouillon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons of the beef liquid
Mashed potatoes
Instructions
1. Combine the leftovers. Place the leftover beef and au jus into a skillet. Add approximately 1½–2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of beef bouillon. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer. If you have left over caramelized onions, add those too.
2. Thicken. Remove 4 tablespoons of the hot liquid from the skillet and place it in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and stir until completely smooth and there are no lumps. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the skillet while stirring. Continue cooking until the liquid thickens into a gravy.
3. Make mashed potatoes. Boil water, place diced potatoes in until fork tender. Drain water. Mash potatoes.
4. Serve. Serve the beef and gravy over mashed potatoes. And just like that, your second dinner is ready.
Two Meals. One Cut of Beef.
With our 4 pounds of sirloin, we made approximately 6 Italian beef sandwiches for the first meal, with leftover beef and au jus.
The leftovers became approximately 5 servings of beef and gravy over mashed potatoes the following night.
Choose the beef that fits your freezer.
Want to make it a little more special?
Use sirloin, grill it and slice it thin.
Want a more budget-friendly option?
Use stew meat, braise it until tender and shred it.
Either way, you're getting two meals from one package of beef and that's a pretty good way to make what's in your freezer work a little harder for you.