Recipes: French Dip for your Valentine

Matty and Trish have been in love forever. It is a true love in that it drives them both nuts and brings them peace and breaks their brains and blows their minds. They really have it all in each other, and we would like you to channel a bit of this love through cooking a beautiful sandwich for your all-encompassing lover.

Yield: Serves 6, Time: 6 hours

Ingredients

  • One 2-pound piece bone-in prime rib (6 inches wide)
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • Canola oil
  • 1 + 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 crusty French baguettes, each cut into 3 pieces
  • Olive oil
  • 24 slices provolone

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Season the prime rib generously with salt and pepper, ensuring all sides are coated.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of canola oil and sear the prime rib on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the prime rib to a large plate or platter and set aside.

In the same Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic. Sauté until they become fragrant and begin to caramelize. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and sherry to the pan to deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf and bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the seared prime rib with its juices to the Dutch oven, bone-side down.

Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and roast for about 2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness (I recommend medium-rare, with an internal temperature of around 135°F).

While the prime rib is cooking, prepare the caramelized onions. In a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until they caramelize and turn golden brown, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Once the prime rib is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a minimum of 1 hour before slicing. Thinly slice the prime rib. Use a long slicing knife with a rounded tip if you have one. Strain the au jus (the juice that came off the meat after resting) through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the solids, and transfer the liquid to a serving vessel for dipping.

Preheat your broiler on high. Split the baguettes lengthwise and drizzle them with olive oil. Place them on a baking sheet under the broiler until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

To assemble the sandwiches, layer the sliced prime rib on the toasted baguettes. Top with 4 slices of cheese, then put them back under the broiler to let the cheese get melty. Top with caramelized onions. Serve the sandwiches with the au jus on the side for dipping.

Excerpted from Soups, Salads, Sandwiches.