Have you Hurd... Italian Beef is not just in Chicago anymore...

Given the plethora of Dining Scout posts you have been reading, you likely have been wondering if the Shade Tree Chef is a complete fabrication.  Hopefully, the contents of this post will at least partially dispel those doubts.  While the menu I will describe is not terribly extravagant and I am only preparing for ten, I thought I should share anyway.  Two of the three items on the menu have been real crowd-pleasers in the past and I have shared the recipes with any who have asked for them.

I have found that cooking is a good hobby to have for more than a few reasons.  One that comes to mind as I type this is that it makes you popular at parties. When you find you actually have some mad skills in the kitchen, you can get some folks to pay for you to exercise your hobby too.  I never played any sport well enough to go pro or to earn any sweet endorsement deals.  My cooking (or my personality) hasn't earned me a spot on the Food Network yet either, but I frequently get requests from friends to be their house cook.  I have helped out with graduation parties, family holiday parties, and even the occasional wedding reception or rehearsal dinner and loved every minute of it.  If letting me work in the kitchen means they can relax and focus on enjoying the company of their guests, it is a win for both of us.  They buy the ingredients and I get to play in my kitchen sandbox.  I get excited at the mere thought of it.

Of course, there are some cooking gigs that are really special.  This would be one of those times.  A group of my friends and co-workers wanted to do something nice for one of our fellow associates whose husband was recuperating from shoulder surgery.  The surgery ended up requiring a much longer healing time than expected and with him on light duty, she would be shouldering the load here at the office and at home for the next month or more. (pardon the pun… couldn't resist).  Since it was a sizable group signed up for the project, it was suggested to muster funds for restaurant gift cards or for some sort of food offering.  I couldn't pass up a chance like that.  Had to jump in with a few menu suggestions and offer to do the cooking if they would cover the cost of materials.  Since she is a big dessert fan and I am not much of a baker, I first secured a trio of treats from friends who are skilled in the pastry arts.  We plan to spread them out over the next three weeks to go with the food I would prepare.

Did I mention red velvet is my
favorite too?-wicked grin-

The menu for the first week of our personal “meals on wheels” program would be Chicago-Style shredded Italian beef, Alfredo potatoes, country style green beans, red velvet cake, and vanilla ice cream.  One of the other members of our group was kind enough to have his wife bake the cake.  She swings for the fences every time with her red velvet.  I didn't even dare open the cake carrier while it sat on my desk, for fear I would be unable to resist the temptation once the aroma swirled about my office.  I have peeled off the latter parts of the menu into a separate post to keep the length of this manageable… Please be sure to watch for Volume 2.






The recipe for the Italian beef comes from my wife Beth’s Aunt Jan.  I have run it past every one and their cousin here in Columbus and received an overwhelmingly positive response.  Plus I have also had a few native Chicagoans sample it and vouch for the quality.  Based on that, I would say this recipe is tried and true.  –smile-

Italian Beef – For this project I used 5 pounds of USDA Choice boneless beef chuck 
                       and a 7-quart programmable Crock-Pot

2 – 10 pounds Beef Roast (I use Boneless Beef Chuck/Shoulder, Occasionally Bottom Round)
1 Jar (16 Ounces) Mild or Hot Banana Pepper Rings (Your choice on heat level, I use mild)
1 Packet Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Can (14 ounces) Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles
Each pound of beef (pre-cooked weight) will yield 4 - 5 servings

Combine the last three ingredients (including any liquid) in the bottom of the pan (or slow cooker) and stir to combine.  Layer the roasts on top. Season the roasts as you would normally.  I use Seasoned Salt or Chicago Steak Seasoning (www.penzeys.com) or some combination thereof.  You can brown them first in a skillet if you wish, but I don’t.  If you have a 7-quart slow cooker, you should be able to fit 6 - 8 pounds of beef and cook on high for one hour per pound (or until fork tender).  If you are like me (most of the time), you may go for 10 pounds.  I use an 18-quart electric roaster frequently along with a disposable plastic pan liner for easy cleanup.  I keep the temperature low (300 degrees) and allow 45 minutes per pound.  An 18 quart roaster will work even if you double the recipe (20 pounds of beef), although cooking time may stretch.

Just waiting for a lid and a
delivery driver.  

When the meat is finished, you can use meat forks to shred and serve it immediately. Or you could do what I do and cook it ahead of when you need it.  Then you can allow it to cool for a bit and shred it by hand into a separate (airtight) container to go into the refrigerator.  Refrigerating the liquid for 6 – 8 hours in a separate container will allow you to remove the fat easily.  The fat will rise to the top and harden as it cools, so you can just peel it off the top and discard it.  Once that has been done, pour a good measure of the remaining liquid, peppers, and tomatoes over the shredded meat and store it together until ready to reheat for serving.  It will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.  Just divide it into meal-size portions for your crew and then freeze it in Ziploc bags.  It is nice to be able to grab a bag of it out of the freezer, dump it into a pan and warm it up for a quick weeknight meal or last-minute dinner guests.

Be sure to read the following post for the rest of the menu…  Volume 2…  Alfredo – It Isn’t Just for Pasta Anymore. 

Your Shade Tree Chef,
Michael Hurd, aka Big Mike