Petes Total Food

This homemade French dip sandwich takes a classic favorite to the next level with tender, thinly sliced ribeye steak, melted cheese, and fresh homemade ciabatta bread. Served alongside a rich, savory au jus for dipping, every bite is packed with bold beef flavor, a crispy yet chewy crust, and plenty of juicy goodness. It’s a restaurant-quality sandwich that’s surprisingly easy to make right at home.

Prep Time: Overnight | Cook Time: 2-3 Hours | Serves: 1-2 | See Full Video Below

Ingredients:

Ciabatta

Day 1

• 73 Grams of Water
• 1/12 tsp Active Yeast 
• 73 Grams of Bread Flour

Day 2

• 125 Grams of Bread Flour
• 4 Grams Sea Salt
• 85 Grams of Water
• 1/6 tsp Active Yeast
• Butter 
• 1 Cup of Ice

Au Jus Sauce

• 1 Sweet Onion
• 1/8 Cup Shirodashi
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• 1 1/4 Cups Beef Broth
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Sandwich

• 1 Sweet Onion
• 1 lb Ribeye Steak
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise 
• 6 Pieces of Swiss Cheese
• 1 Tbsp Chives
• Salt to Taste

Directions:

Making the bread

• Start by heating up the water to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and stir the yeast into the water, then let that sit for a minute or two to activate
• Next add the yeasty water to the flour in a bowl and mix it together using your fingers
• Once the flour is goopy and liquidy cover and place in the fridge overnight (12-18 hours)
• After it’s sat overnight start by heating the water to 100 degrees again then mix in the yeast and set aside
• In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and sea salt, then add the yeasty water
• Remove the dough from the previous night and add that to the large bowl 
• Use a stand mixer or your hands to combine and knead until silky and smooth
• Lightly grease a bowl with butter, add the dough and cover for 1 hour or until doubled in size
• For the next stage of the bread, you need to make 3 folds and let it rest between each fold
• To do that, grease your fingers so they won’t stick to the dough, then grab the edge of the dough ball with your fingers and stretch it then fold it over itself
• Do this around the perimeter of the dough ball (about 5-6 folds, see video) and cover for for 25 minutes (fold # 1)
• After resting, do the exact same thing and let it rest another 25 minutes (fold # 2)
• Finally fold the dough one more time and this time, let it rest for 45 minutes (fold # 3)
• Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper and scrape out your dough being careful not to degas it
• Flour the surface of the dough with a little more flour and do your best to shape it into a rectangle 
• For the final rest, cover the dough with a baking pan and let it rest for 1 more hour
• In the meantime, preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, then place a pizza stone on the middle rack and a cast iron pan on the lowest rack and let them preheat for 1 hour
• After the dough is rested, spray the surface with water to keep it moist, then place it in the oven and immediately spray the oven with water and place ice in the cast iron pan to steam the bread
• Bake at 475 for about 15 minutes, then remove the cast iron pan and lower the heat to  375 degrees and cook for another 5 minutes
• Remove and let cool, don’t cut in half until it comes down to room temperature

Sauce and Sandwich

• Start by thinly slicing the two sweet onions 
• Next, shave of any excess fat on the steak, then very thinly cut the meat into strips
• To make the Au Jus sauce, start by searing the excess meat/fat in a pot over medium-high heat with no oil until browned about 1-2 minutes per side
• Remove the excess meat and set aside
• Then add 1 tbsp of butter to the pot and 1 of the sweet onions thinly sliced
• Sprinkle on the some salt and sugar then caramelize the onions on medium-low heat for about 30-45 minutes until golden brown
• Once caramelized, add the beef broth, thyme and the excess meat and fat you just set aside and simmer for 15 minutes
• Add the worcestershire sauce and the shirodashi
• Simmer for 5 more minutes, then strain and store in a thermos to keep warm
• Next get out a pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and let that get hot
• Add the rest of the onion followed by a pinch of salt, and slightly sear on both sides until lightly browned
• Move the onions to one corner of the pan and add the meat in searing until browned 1-2 minutes per side
• Mix the meat and onions together and chop them with a metal spatula 
• Cut the ciabatta loaf in half like a sandwich and toast each side face down in the pan for 2-3 minutes until golden brown
• Remove the bread, meat and onion
• Spread the mayonnaise on both faces of the bread
• Load the sandwich up with all of the meat and onions from the pan
• Add the swiss cheese on top and melt in oven on broil or with a blow torch
• Chop fresh chives on top of the melted cheese, then crown your exquisite sandwich
• Pour the au jus sauce into a dish and cut the sandwich in half to reveal an amazing cross-section and so the sandwich can fit in the dish
• Serve and enjoy!