50 States Sandwich Challenge: California

 You'll be surprised to know that avocado is not involved with today's sandwich at all.  No avocado? In California? What? Well, turn your heads vegans because you're about to go on a trip down memory lane to the turn of the 20th century when meat sandwiches were a popular lunch in Los Angeles.  Before Hollywood influencers and would-be tech titans came to California, it was a land of outdoor adventurers from all over the world, looking for land and gold to create their American legacy.  One of these people was Philippe Mathieu, a French immigrant born in 1877 who started out working at a deli in Southern France before moving to Algeria to work as an apprentice cook.  Once he saved enough money, he immigrated to the U.S where he cooked his way across the country in lumber camps and hotels before landing in Los Angeles in 1903.  He bought a deli for $150 (seriously what?) at 617 Alameda in LA and opened Philippe's Restaurant in 1908 where ten years later, the French Dip was invented (according to legend).  Again according to their website, one day in 1918 while making a roast beef sandwich, Mathieu inadvertently dropped the sliced french roll into the roasting pan filled with the juice that was still hot.  The patron said he would eat it anyway and like most American things, this accident became a popular meal for the many police and fireman who would frequent Philippe's restaurant during all hours.  Today, the restaurant still stands at 1001 North Alameda St, and has been rebranded "Philippe The Original."  Truth be told, the only thing "French" about this sandwich is that it was made by a French guy in California and although California has seen many food trends become popular in American lure, the French Dip is perhaps the oldest and most enduring of them all.  And why wouldn't it be? Slow-cooked roast beef with melted provolone broiled on a french bread dipped in its own juice.  Who says no to that? Anyway here's the very simple recipe I followed. 

Ingredients

4 pounds bottom round roast

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large onion, peeled, halved, and sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

14.5 ounce can of fat-free beef broth or homemade beef stock

1/4 cup light soy sauce

3-4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Bay Leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

6 hoagie rolls

2 teaspoons softened butter optional

12 slices provolone cheese

1. Season your beef roast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder (duh). 

2. Put beef, sliced onions, garlic, beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, bay leaf, and thyme in a crockpot.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours and let the magic engulf your entire house.  Shred beef when done. 

3. Time to prepare.  If you want to, spread some butter on each slice of the bread. Lay a slice of provolone cheese on each side of the bread and cover with your shredded roast beef.  Time to broil it up.  

4. Turn your broiler on high and put the assembled sandwiches on the third rack from the top of the oven for 35 seconds. 

5. Once toasted, remove from oven and serve with the juices leftover in the crockpot. (The fancy term for this is au jus.)