Nice Surprise

I came home from work Thursday to find a pleasant surprise awaiting me. See, in my family we are all Food Network fans and after just watching Jeff Mauro win this season of "The Next Food Network Star" my Mother and my children decided to surprise me with the food he made on his first show, Dry-aged Italian Beef Sandwich with Homemade Giardiniera and Sweet Peppers.

Homemade giardiniera, which I actually really liked on the beef sandwich. It added this surprisingly nice crunch to the steak sandwich but it was a bit spicy. I am kind of a wimp when it comes to spicy things. Also, I am happy to report 2 out of 3 children tried the giardiniera.

The best Mother ever!!

The beef came out so tender and flavorful. This would be a great meal for a party, everyone can assemble their own or you could even make sliders.

Recipes

Homemade Giardiniera:
1 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
4 serrano chiles, sliced into rounds
1 cup small cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup julienned red bell peppers
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 cups canola oil
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small pot, add the carrots, celery, chiles, cauliflower, garlic, bell peppers and vinegar and cover with water. Season with the salt and bring to a light simmer. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes; the vegetables should still be crisp and bright. Drain and cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Add the oils to the vegetables and store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Beef:
1 top round rump roast, tied with butcher twine in 2-inch increments
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups beef stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the beef: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt and pepper. In a heavy-bottomed roasting pan over high heat, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Add the roast and sear all sides until a golden crust forms, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside on a sheet tray. Add the garlic, onions, dried Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Saute until caramelized. Add the wine and deglaze, scraping the bottom. Add the stock, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a simmer. Return the roast to the pan and any accumulated juices from the sheet tray. Roast in the oven, turning every 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat registers 125 degrees F, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. While the roast is cooking, start on the garnishes.

When the roast is done cooking, remove from the oven and let rest under tented foil. Strain the juice from the roasting pan into a saucepot. Bring to a simmer, skim the fat from the top and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Hold warm over low heat.
To build the sandwiches: Very thinly slice the roast by hand or on a deli slicer. Dredge a roll through the cooking juices and top with 4 to 6 ounces sliced meat. Garnish with the Homemade Giardiniera and the sweet peppers.