The closest to Beef Villa's Italian beef I have found.
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
- 2 teaspoons basil dried
- 2 teaspoons oregano dried
- 2 teaspoons italian seasoning dried
- 3 cubes beef bouillon
- 3 bay leaf
- 1 4-lb rump roast
- 8 italian rolls
- pickled sport peppers pickled
- Carbohydrate 20.3812855688867 g
- Cholesterol 161.28 mg
- Fat 23.2075218669867 g
- Fiber 1.54765033197036 g
- Protein 50.76626936698 g
- Saturated Fat 8.30296364583333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (377g)
- Sodium 931.371916666175 mg
- Sugar 18.8336352369163 g
- Trans Fat 2.14503303365334 g
- Calories 507 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 450F
- Combine in a small bowl: -pepper flakes -garlic powder -onion powder -basil -oregano -Italian seasoning -garlic salt -black pepper
- Rub half of the seasoning over all surfaces of the roast.
- Put meat in a shallow pan just large enough to hold it.
- Roast 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F and roast an additional 20 - 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add cold water to bottom of pan.
- Let stand until fat has solidified.
- Remove and discard fat.
- Add remaining seasoning mixture to pan juices.
- Return meat to oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes.
- Slice in paper-thin slices.
- Put sliced meat in a large sauce pan with juices, bouillon cubes, fennel seed and bay leaves.
- Let simmer 1 - 2 hours until cooked as desired.
- Spoon over split rolls.
- Add sport peppers if desired.
Why does dry-rubbing a rump roast before introducing liquid matter so much for flavor penetration? Searing meat at 450 degrees Fahrenheit triggers the Maillard reaction, forming surface amino-acid complexes that hold herb compounds during subsequent braising. Applying half the spice blend directly to the raw protein allows garlic powder and onion powder to bond with surface fats, while the remaining seasonings dissolve into the pan juices later.
Using dried herbs instead of fresh ones is chemically advantageous here; dried basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning lack water content, meaning they release essential oils slowly into the simmering broth over one to two hours rather than scorching in the oven. Crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds infuse the liquid with capsaicin and anethole, cutting through the heavy fat content of the beef bouillon base.
Chilling the initial pan juices until the fat solidifies permits clean removal of excess grease before the final simmer. Slicing the beef paper-thin after a twenty-minute cooling rest ensures the muscle fibers hold together under the knife instead of shredding into fragments.
