PORTILLO’S ITALIAN BEEF (Copycat)

This copycat recipe is spot on

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 lb beef fat, trimmings
• 4  cups water
• 2  knorr beef bouillon cubes (double-size cubes, or use 4 standard size)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet, browning & seasoning sauce
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1  pinch msg
• 4  hard french bread  sandwich buns
• 1  lb roast beef, London broil or 1  lb  italian style roast beef, sliced very thin
•  marconi hot  giardiniera or   cooked sweet pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Render the beef fat by chopping it into small bits (about the size of peas) with a food processor. Be sure the fat is very cold--it will chop better. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the fat by hand. Use a sharp knife and cut it as small as you can. Heat up the fat in a sauté pan over medium heat until the bits are browned. Strain the solids from the fat and measure 1/4 cup of fat for the gravy.
3. Make the beef gravy by combining all of the ingredients, including the beef fat, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the mixture begins to boil reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low.
4. Make the sandwiches by heating up the rolls in the hot oven for 3 minutes.
5. For each sandwich, drop 1/4 pound of sliced beef (separate the slices) into the gravy for 2 minutes. Make sure the gravy isn't boiling. It should be around 180 degrees F. After the beef has soaked in the gravy, use tongs to arrange the beef on a warmed sandwich roll and top with your choice of hot giardiniera or sweet peppers. Or both. Spoon on some extra gravy just before serving.