Recipe: Chicago Italian Venison Sandwiches

When you live somewhere for a long time, you take certain foods for granted. You move somewhere else and, suddenly, the staples that were everywhere around you no longer exist in the same way. For about 12 years, I lived on and off in Chicago. I loved eating at mom-and-pop fast-food joints. Rarely were these bad, and each spot had their special burger, sandwich, or hot dog. Such inspired the Chicago Italian venison sandwich.

One of the more iconic Chicago sandwiches — created by Italian immigrants — is known as Italian beef. Slow-braised meat simmers in a liquid for hours. Then, it’s chilled, sliced, and dunked back into the braising liquid before being piled high on a sturdy bun.

Toppings varied from place to place, but a defining flavor from Chicago is giardiniera. Spicy peppers, onions, olive oil, and so on, give it a special punch and tanginess perfect for accompanying sliced red meat. Some people even dunk their sandwiches in the braising liquid. When doing so, make sure to have some really sturdy rolls. Toasting helps, too.

GOOD FOR WILD GAME

I’m always looking for ways to use the large cuts from the back leg of a big-game animal. This slow-cook method is actually ideal for a lean animal. The final product is sliced thin against the grain. I’m using a sirloin here, but any of the larger roasts from the back leg will do.

Ideally, you could use a meat slicer to cut your meat. But you can use a really sharp, long knife, too. Smooth, long strokes erring on the side of thin will get you there (think paper thin — 1/16th of an inch).

Regarding spices, the core flavor is salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and paprika. Coriander and fennel really take it all up a notch, so use these if you can. It’ll add another level to the flavors, and the fennel is the flavor you probably most associate with Italian sausages.

Things to not skip over are the browning and chilling of the meat. Slicing a hot roast will not only burn your hands but also lose the amazing juices inside. Your sandwich, while covered in roasting liquid, will somehow feel dry.

INGREDIENTS

• Back leg venison roast (3-4 lbs.)
• Coarse kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 8 garlic cloves (smashed, skin removed)
• 1 jar giardiniera
• 3 large, sweet bell peppers (sliced and sauteed)
• 6 Turano bread rolls (or hoagie roll)
• 2 tbsp. (13 g.) paprika
• 1 tbsp. (3 g.) oregano
• 1 tbsp. (2 g.) coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. (2 g.) fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp. (18 g.) coarse kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. (7 g.) Fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups water
• 12 oz. of beer (to cover meat partially)
• 1 whole onion (halved)
• 4 bay leaves

Note: If you don’t have stock, cut an onion in half to add to the pot with some bay leaves. Add some beer if you have it, as all will build flavor.

INSTRUCTIONS

Once time to cook, you can use a smoker or an oven. In fall, a smoker is my preferred way to slow cook, and it definitely adds a unique angle to Italian beef and stock.

1. Preheat the oven (or smoker) to 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Salt and pepper the roast.
3. Add ¼ cup of olive oil to the bottom of your Dutch oven or roasting pan.
4. Heat to medium-high and brown the roast on all sides.
5. Remove the roast. Lower your heat to medium and sauté your garlic and spices. Be careful not to burn anything. You want the heat to bring out flavors, but once things burn, it’ll become bitter.
6. Add 2 cups of stock, your roast, and cover the roast at least halfway with either stock, water, or beer.
7. Put your Dutch oven into the oven or smoker to braise for 3 hours, flipping every 30-60 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat. Pull the meat out to rest on a board or in a bowl to catch the liquid and to hold in the liquids as it finishes resting in the fridge.
9. Save your braising liquid in a jar for serving the beef.
10. Once fully chilled and rested, prep your ingredients.
11. Warm the braising liquid to 140-150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot but not boiling.
12. Cut your rolls. Toast them if you desire.
13. Put some giardiniera out and sauté your sweet peppers.
14. Slice up a third to a half pound of meat per sandwich.
15. Use a meat fork to dunk the beef into the warm au jus, heating it up before placing on the bread. You can also just rest the meat all in the juices to warm up and pull out what you need for each sandwich.
16. You want super-thin slices piled high and covered in giardiniera. Add sweet peppers, or even melted provolone cheese. Some people do all three.
17. Put a sausage on it if you like.
18. Serve it with a bowl of au jus on the table for people to dip into or spoon onto their sandwich.

Overall, this meal is strangely ideal for home or hunting camp. You can easily do the main cooking and slicing in a kitchen. Then, take the ingredients to warm up over a campfire.

Recipe: Game Bird Pie

MORE FIELD NOTES