No Bull: Chicago Knows Beef

DEAR SOS: On a recent visit to Chicago, my son and I realized how much we miss the Italian beef sandwiches sold everywhere. Could you possibly print a recipe for us?

--KIT

DEAR KIT: Pat Dailey, formerly of the Chicago Tribune, developed this recipe by working her way through, as she puts it, “all sorts of sandwiches, finding different styles and different tastes, but never a bad one in the bunch, of course.”

Here’s the recipe for you and other Chicagoans and possibly a few Los Angeles converts. The sandwich is made with thinly sliced cooked beef aggressively seasoned with pepper flakes, garlic, basil and oregano, then slapped over warm Italian rolls with meat juices for a very soggy French dip-type sandwich served with pickled hot peppers. Sounds great to me. Thanks for asking.

ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (2 1/2-pound) sirloin tip roast

1 cup ice water

8 soft Italian rolls, warmed and split

Pickled hot peppers or sliced sweet peppers

Combine red pepper flakes, garlic powder, basil, oregano, pepper and salt in small bowl. Rub half of mixture over surfaces of meat, working some under fat layers.

Place meat in shallow baking pan and bake at 450 degrees 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer.

Remove roast from pan and pour ice water into pan. Let stand several minutes until fat solidifies. Remove and discard fat. Add remaining seasoning mixture to pan juices. Return roast to pan and continue roasting until cooked to desired doneness, preferably rare, about 130 degrees on meat thermometer, about 10 more minutes.

For easier slicing, cool meat, then place in freezer until almost solid. Refrigerate pan juices.

To serve, slice meat paper-thin, using meat slicer or electric knife. Reheat meat either by placing several slices at a time in microwave just until warm, 30 to 40 seconds, or by placing in steamer over simmering water 1 to 2 minutes. Heat pan juices and spoon over split rolls. Fill with meat and peppers as desired and serve at once.

8 servings. Each serving:

303 calories; 522 mg sodium; 66 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 0.19 gram fiber.

Disney Cookies Redux

DEAR SOS: I have lost my recipe for Disneyland’s oatmeal raisin cookies. I’d greatly appreciate it if you would print it again. They are so easy to make, and everyone loves them at my church, at work and at home.

--GINNY

DEAR GINNY: They are easy to make and have become one of our most frequently requested recipes.

WALT DISNEY’S OATMEAL COOKIES

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/3 cups butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats (not instant)

1 1/4 cups raisins

Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon and set aside.

Cream butter by beating until light and fluffy in very large bowl. Beat in granulated and brown sugars. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Add water and vanilla and mix until well blended, about 5 minutes.

Add oats, raisins and flour mixture to sugar mixture and stir until thoroughly blended.

Drop by large tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

4 dozen cookies. Each cookie:

128 calories; 90 mg sodium; 23 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

Onions in a Jam DEAR SOS: I love the onion marmalade served with game in some French restaurants. Do you have a recipe?

--GABBY

DEAR GABBY: A reader named Gail once sent us this recipe for onion jam (or marmalade). Hope it’s close to what you want.

GAIL’S ONION JAM

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/4 cup oil

8 cups thinly sliced brown or white onions

6 shallots, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup sugar

Melt butter and oil in saucepan. Saute onions and shallots until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

Reduce heat and stir in salt and pepper. Cook, partly covered and stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and caramel-colored, about 30 minutes. Do not burn.

Stir in sugar and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Serve warm or at room temperature.

3 cups. Each 1-tablespoon serving:

35 calories; 36 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.19 gram fiber.