Tender Instant Pot Italian beef sandwiches are quick, easy, and delicious! Traditional Italian beef sandwiches make an effortless weekday meal that you’ll prepare again and again, thanks to the Instant Pot. The pressure cooker is ideal because it doesn’t require complicated preparation and cooks the meat quickly. The beef has to be browned, the stock and seasonings added, and the timer set. You’ll have perfectly tender beef within 2 hours!
Italian Beef History and Popularity
The origin of Italian beef sandwiches is often debated, just like so many iconic American foods. Al Ferrari, a street vendor in Chicago, allegedly needed a way to feed many people at events like weddings or business meetings. So, he stretched the roasted beef by slicing it thinly and presenting it with “secret spices” on French bread. With the help of his sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Chris Pacelli, he established the well-known restaurant Al’s #1 Italian Beef in 1938. Some claim that Pasquale Scala of the Scala Packing Company in Chicago invented the sandwich. In the 1920s, he created a sandwich with a comparable backstory about using bulk quantities of inexpensive beef.
How To Assemble Italian Beef Sandwiches
Italian giardiniera is placed on top of each sandwich. Giardiniera in the Chicago style is typically packed in oil, although giardiniera made with chopped vinegar is fine. Provolone cheese is often used to top the sandwiches, but you may also use mozzarella or cheddar if that’s what you have. If you plan to use the jus for dipping, strain it through a gravy/fat separator.
Tender steak or roast beef that has been thinly sliced is typically used to make traditional Chicago Italian beef sandwiches. Our recipe calls for pressure-cooked, tender, boneless short ribs or a beef chuck pot roast.
How To Store Italian Beef
- Refrigerate leftover Italian beef within 2 hours and consume it or freeze it within 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat, transfer the beef to a skillet and add a few tablespoons of broth or water. Heat over low to medium-low heat until hot. The USDA advises a minimum safe temperature of 165 F for leftover hot food.
Instant Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
The Instant Pot makes tender Italian beef sandwiches in under 1 hour! Top these fabulous sandwiches with giardiniera, pepperoncini, and sliced provolone cheese.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Pressure Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Instant Pot, Beef, Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chuck roast or boneless short ribs
- Ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup beef stock, unsalted plus 1 teaspoon beef base or bouillon
- 1/3 cup juice from a jar of sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 1 packet (1 ounce) Zesty Italian Salad Dressing mix
- 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
- 6 sub rolls
- 6 to 12 slices provolone cheese, for garnish
- Sliced pepperoncini peppers, for garnish
- 1 jar mild giardiniera, preferably chopped Chicago style packed in oil, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice the roast or boneless short ribs into large chunks.
- Choose the Instant Pot sauté setting and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the beef. Cook the beef, turning often until all sides are browned, about 10 minutes in all.
- Pour off any excess drippings, then add the garlic, beef stock, bouillon, pepperoncini juice, Italian salad dressing mix, oregano, and basil.
- Ensure the lid is locked in place and set on sealing; choose the pressure cook button. Set the timer for 60 minutes.
- When the time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the meat and shred it with 2 forks.
- Put the juices in a gravy/fat separator and return the juices to the pot. Set the Instant Pot to simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until hot.
- Arrange the beef on toasted sub rolls and drizzle with a tablespoon or 2 of the juice. Top with pepperoncini peppers, giardiniera, and sliced provolone or mozzarella cheese.
- Put the sandwiches on a baking sheet and broil just until the cheese is melted.
- Put any extra jus in a bowl for dipping, if desired.
