This is the greatest roast beef sandwich of all time. Mother’s restaurant lays claim to inventing the “Debris” Po-Boy, which got its name when a customer asked for the bits of roast beef that had fallen into the gravy. Pro Tip: Paint your sub rolls with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees F for a few minutes to help activate them and add a slightly crunchy dimension.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 9 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 sandwiches |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- One 3-pound beef chuck roast, patted dry and tied
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
- 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 4 fresh sub rolls (10 to 12 inches long)
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Remoulade Sauce, recipe follows
- Shaved iceberg lettuce, for serving
- Sliced plum tomatoes, for serving
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the roast beef and gravy: Heat the avocado oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Generously season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add the roast to the pan and sear until nicely browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Add the roast to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker along with the celery, carrot and onion.
- Add the beef broth to the sauté pan used to sear the roast and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the broth to the slow cooker along with the thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low until the roast is super tender, about 8 hours. Transfer the beef to a sheet pan or plate and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until blond in color, 3 to 5 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour in about 4 cups of the strained braising liquid into the roux. Continue to whisk until smooth. Simmer until slightly thickened and with a smooth “gravy” consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. If too thick, add a little more braising liquid to thin. Add the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper if need be.
- While the gravy is reducing, remove the twine from the roast. Shred the roast with hands or 2 forks, discarding any large chunks of fat or gristle. Season to taste again.
- To assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the outside of the rolls with some olive oil. Toast until warmed and slightly crisped, 3 to 4 minutes. Slice each roll in half lengthwise, leaving the hinge intact. Smear the top halves of the rolls with the remoulade sauce. Pile the shredded beef on the bottom halves of the rolls. Top the remoulade side with the lettuce and tomatoes. Close the sandwich, cut in halves or quarters if desired and serve immediately!
- Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, capers, lemon juice, parsley, paprika, hot sauce and garlic in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 18 servings |
| Calories | 313 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 61 mg |
| Sodium | 456 mg |
Reviews
This recipe surpasses anything you could ever get at a sub shop, and is restaurant quality! Make all the components, especially the remoulade, it makes it! I agree with the comments on being a crowd pleaser, have some friends over and indulge yourself!
This recipe was seriously good! If you are looking for a crowd pleasure sandwich, this is it!!!
I was in NOLA last month and didn’t get a chance to have one of these. I changed the recipe for an Instant Pot. I seared the beef on Saute, then added everything else, switched to Manual and cooked for 30 minutes with a 15 minute natural release. Blended the vegetables into the stock. Made the gravy and added the shredded beef to heat it up. Warmed the rolls for 2 minutes, sliced them and added remoulade and Swiss cheese to both sides, heated another 2 minutes and finished with beef/gravy and lettuce and tomato. Outstanding
My mother in law is from New Orleans and went crazy for this. It truly was spectacular.
This is tasty, my family enjoyed, but it is VERY rich. We could only eat 1/2 a sandwich each. Leftovers for days. The second time I served, I cut down on the remoulade sauce and added homemade giardiniera and it gave a punch of flavor and cut the richness. I didn’t think Jeff would mind! 🙂
Sandwich was delicious. My husband really liked the remoulade sauce. I used very fresh French rolls. Next time might use a sturdier roll or a baguette. Loved the gravy. I strained it. Had to add a bit more stock to gravy because it did reduce to just two cups in the pot with the meat. Will make again.
Made this and we enjoyed it. Pureed the vegetables into the gravy rather than straining but other than that, followed the recipe.
Could Alex’s disdain be anymore visible Besides the look on her face, all she did was pick the tomatoes out to eat.
No review, comment-better be Dukes Mayo! -:)