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French Dip Sandwich close up photo of a sandwich cut on a white plate with dip in a ramekin on the plate.

French Dip Sandwich

French Dip Sandwich with Red Onion Jam - the best!
Course Dinner
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings 4 -6 sandwiches
Author Barry C. Parsons

Ingredients

  • 5-7 pounds beef bones
  • 4 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1 large chopped onion
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 3 large carrots cut in 1 inch sections
  • 2 stalks celery
  • a few peppercorns
  • splash red wine
  • pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • fresh thyme rosemary or sage sprigs
  • 6 ounces of thinly sliced rare steak per sandwich

Instructions

  1. In a large covered enamel roaster add the bones, garlic, onion, carrots, celery and salt and pepper to season.
  2. Roast the bones at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes to an hour until they are well browned and the carrots are tender.
  3. Cover the bones with 3 to 4 liters of water.
  4. At this point, depending on how you want to use the stock, you can add your favorite fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary or add tomatoes or parsnip to further flavor the stock. Return the roaster to the oven, covered for 2 to 3 hours. Strain the finished stock through a fine sieve. Chill and skim off all the fat. If you want very clear stock you can sieve it again with a coffee filter inside the sieve.
  5. Freeze the stock in small airtight containers. Stock can also be frozen in ice cube trays and then frozen in Ziploc bags for later use. This is great for when you need a small amount of stock for sauces or stir-fry recipes.
  6. To make the jus to dip your sandwich in, allow 1/2 cup of this stock per sandwich. Warm the stock by simmering in a small saucepan along with the peppercorns, red wine, nutmeg and herbs.
  7. Simmer for 5 to ten minutes before serving beside the sandwich as a dip.
  8. To construct the sandwich toast the baguette and spread with your favorite garlic butter. Allow about 6 ounces of thinly sliced rare roasted beef or grilled steak. Dip the beef into the simmering jus for just a minute to warm it then place on top of the bread along with some of the Red Onion Jam. Serve small ramekins of jus with the sandwich for dipping.

Recipe Notes

If you'd like to use store bought stock for this recipe, I'd highly suggest getting the best quality that you can and definitely get low sodium or no salt added stock. This way, you can simmer it slowly to reduce the volume by about half and intensify the flavour before adding garlic, onions, nutmeg, splash of wine, herbs, peppercorns and salt to season. Simmer that covered for 15 minutes before straining through a fine sieve as serving as the au jus dip for the sandwiches.
Regular stock will likely be far too salty when reduced, so the low salt or no salt varieties will always work better.