Kick In The Pants French Dip

Just beyond magic school bus days…… we moved into an old Mill House (which needed a lot of repair) about 10 miles from the marina.  That same month; February I began working in retail as an Optical Technician. There I would meet a woman fully steeped in a Southern Lifestyle.  Perhaps it was one she designed herself, but working with Paula was a kick in the pants. I don’t believe she went to college but she belonged to what she called a working sorority, doing charity work and benefits around the area.  This recipe comes from the first Beta Sigma Phi cookbook that she gave to me.

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One of those recipes was for a Crock-pot French dip, and I just happened to be thinking about it again today……….made it a few weeks ago …………

This is one of those very tweekable recipes.  The basics are:

3 – 4 pound roast

1 c soy sauce (or 1/2 c soy and 1/2 c water) (or I like to use Braggs Mineral broth and a combo of water and soy sauce)

2 – 4 peppercorns  

1 t rosemary (I use a few fresh sprigs from the garden)

1 t thyme

1 bay leaf

1 T garlic powder  (I also add a few fresh garlic cloves)

8 hours @ low setting.

Serve on your choice of bread/rolls with Mozzarella or Swiss cheese.

Perfect perfect perfect..  Even inexpensive beef cuts work with this, and most recently I made it with Pork Butt (picnic ham or pork shoulder) and it turned out simply wonderful.    The au jus on either count is awesome.

Some variations I’ve used:

1/ lay roast on a bed of sliced onions and/or garlic gloves

2/ lay roast on bed of what ever left over veggies you have in fridge.  The last batch concoction included: cabbage, bell peppers, a few tomatoes, carrots, and thinly slice sweet potatoes

3/ fresh herbs instead or with dry ones. Today’s collection included 3 fresh sprigs of rosemary from the garden and what was left of my basil plants after last nights freeze, about 4 leaves.  Next time I think I will try adding some of my homemade pesto.

4/ add caraway seeds (!)

5/ few slice of fresh jalapeno peppers. I thought I’d picked them all before the frost, but discovered this morning that a few survived.  I scooped out the seeds and let the flesh rest in mild salt water for a minute or two. (Why?  Because my Mother told me one it will take the bite out of them.  So I do it.)   I’ve used dry jalapenos slices in the past with great results too.

~ Cheryl