Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Easy, delicious, messy... an all-time favorite of mine!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword sandwich, slow cooker

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10 30

Servings

Calories 590kcal

3-4 pound chuck roast excess fat removed
kosher salt
14.5 ounce beef broth divided
8 ounces pepperoncini peppers
¼ cup juice from the pepperoncini
1 cup giardiniera drained. You want the chopped giardiniera, not the chunky vegetable style. In a pinch you can chop them smaller.

8 ounces pepperoncini peppers or more, to taste
8 ounces giardiniera or more, to taste (again, get the chopped style, not the chunky vegetable one)
Provolone cheese sliced
8 Hoagie buns

Lay the roast out on a cutting board or on a baking sheet and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle liberally with salt, getting it on all sides.
Heat a large Dutch oven, skillet or pot over medium-high heat.
Carefully add the roast. Sear on all sides until golden brown, turning often. Don't rush it, you want it perfectly seared all over.
Transfer the roast to a slow cooker.
Reduce the heat on your Dutch oven to medium. Carefully add in half of the can of beef broth.
Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any bits of meat that are stuck to the pan. Get them all. There's tons of flavor in those bits!
Pour the contents of the pan over the roast.
Sprinkle the roast with the seasoning mix.
Add the pepperoncini and 1/4 cup of the juice from the jar, along with the giardiniera (just the vegetables, don't add any juice from the jar) and the remaining beef broth.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the roast shreds easily.
Carefully remove the roast to a cutting board. Note: I like to put the cutting board inside of a baking sheet pan so as to catch any juices.
Shred and return to the slow cooker along with any juices that are on the cutting board (or caught by the baking pan).
Cover and cook another 30 minutes.

Toast the buns if desired.
Fill the hoagies with the beef (along with some of the liquid). Top with cheese, pepperoncini and giardiniera.

Serve with plenty of napkins!