Story and recipes by Darryl Postelnick
Recipes excerpted with permission from R. U. Kidding Me? Cooking with Darryl, © 83 Press, 2024.
There is something about an Italian Beef that is different than a Philly Cheesesteak or Roast Beef Sandwich. I grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and as a kid growing up in the city, I was introduced to “Chicago-style” Italian beefs at a very early age. There were beef stands or hot dog stands on what felt like every corner, and it’s even where fast-casual restaurant chain Portillo’s got its start.
At the young age of 15, I started working at one of those local beef stands—Original Joe’s Cheesy Beefs. This was not only a job but also a great gig to hang out with all my high school friends who worked there, too, so even when we weren’t working together, we were hanging at the beef joint, talking about sports, cars, music, and girls.
Joe, the beef stand owner, would get beef roasts delivered weekly and would take about six or seven and cook them in a large pot filled with water on the stove. After adding a bunch of different seasonings to it, he would cook the roasts until they were all a nice medium-rare. All the juice left over became the au jus for the beef sandwiches that week. Once the roasts were cooked, we put them in the refrigerator overnight to harden. The next day, we would take the roasts to the slicer and cut them very thin for the perfect sandwich. All that was left was to put the sliced beef into the au jus for a bit to cook.
I learned a technique to make these sandwiches that is very simple and extremely inexpensive by using a chuck steak for this same recipe. Chuck is a flavorful cut of meat since it has a lot of fat and marbling. Once you add some beef stock and a few beers to it—along with some Italian seasoning and peppers—slow-cook it for several hours in a slow cooker to get some of the best-tasting beef! In my opinion, the key to a good beef sandwich is mozzarella cheese (melted on top) and topping your beef with hot giardiniera. Giardiniera is well-known in Chicago but can be harder to get in other states; Amazon is always an option.
We make these beef sandwiches for many of our parties and get-togethers, and they never disappoint. These are so good and beloved by my family that they’re listed as one of my top 15 recipes in my new cookbook, R. U. Kidding Me? Cooking with Darryl. With a large enough slow cooker, you can double or triple this recipe and have loads for leftovers, which is great when you are having friends or family over for game day.
Chili is another very special recipe to me for a few reasons. First, it was the second video I ever posted and was the first to go viral with more than 4 million views. Second, it’s my daughters’ favorite food to eat, and they request it often. It’s so popular in our house that when my daughters request it, I have to make three or four times the standard recipe. I end up separating and freezing individual servings for when they come home from school or when they just want to eat a helping as a late-night snack.
“It’s so popular in our house that when my daughters request it, I have to make three or four times the standard recipe. ”
The debate on chili is two-fold, in my opinion: beans or no beans and spicy or mild. In my house, I have to make two separate batches since my kids like it with no beans and very little spice, whereas I like it with beans and a lot of spice. I never knew how fired up people on social media could get about this until I posted this chili. The Texas crowd is very passionate about their chili, but the East Coast group, who prefer macaroni in theirs, is just as passionate.
Whether you use ground beef, ground turkey, or just use chunks of beef stew, the protein you use is your choice. I’ve even made a white chicken chili that is delicious, and you can get that recipe in my cookbook, available now at cookingwithdarrylbook.com.
I always opt to make my chili in the fall or winter because I like to have it simmering for three to four hours in the kitchen, making the whole house smell fantastic, before serving. During that time, all the vegetables come together nicely, and everyone can smell what’s cooking. The toppings are also an area of debate in my house. Do you prefer cheese? Sour cream? Avocado? Macaroni? Jalapeños? I opt for almost all of them. I personally don’t think pasta should be anywhere in chili! So, whether you make chili on the stove or use a smoker, it’s a comfort food that tastes so good and is sure to either feed a crowd or give you a lot of leftovers.
