Not-So-French Dip

A French dip is a simple sandwich of thinly sliced roast beef on a baguette or french roll that is dipped in beef "jus." It's origins are not French at all, but has it's roots in Los Angeles, California. According to Philippe of Philippe's restaurant, a policeman eating a roast beef sandwich "saw some gravy in the bottom of a large pan of roast meat. He asked me if I would mind dipping one side of the French roll in that gravy. I did, and right away five or six others wanted the same." And so was born the beef dip sandwich. Philippe's was affectionately called Frenchy's and so the beef dip soon became known as the French dip.

I like to braise tri-tip for my French dip sandwiches. If you aren't from California then you might not be familiar with this cut, but you can ask your butcher for part of the triangle muscle from the bottom sirloin. It is a lean muscle so there is usually a cap of fat attached to the tri-tip. I remove this as braising will keep the meat moist enough.

Ingredients:

• approx 1.5 lb tri-tip with fat cap removed
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups beef stock
• 6 crusty French rolls
• horseradish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Rub tri-tip with salt and pepper. 
3. Sear both sides of the tri-tip in olive oil over high heat in large pan. 
4. Pour beef stock over tri-tip, deglazing the pan and scrapping up the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Place pan in oven, uncovered. Cook for approx 45 minutes or until meat is cooked to 145 degrees, turning half way through. For well done, cook to 155 degrees. 
5. Remove tri-tip from jus and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Set jus aside and toast bread while waiting for meat to rest. 
6. Thinly slice tri-tip and place in toasted bread, served with jus on the side. For a little kick, serve with horseradish.