Slow-Cooker Roast Beef Po’ Boys

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 4-5 hours

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

The po’ boy (or poor boy, if you will) is the reigning king of New Orleans sandwiches. Created and named during the street car strike of 1929, it can be filled with anything from potatoes to shrimp to oysters to ham, so long as it is tucked inside a loaf of soft, squishy (preferably freshly baked) French bread.

There is something about the roast beef po’ boy in particular that won me over at first bite. I mean, how can I resist chunky bits of beef melting in my mouth, its juices running down my chin and dripping on my lap? You know something is good when you couldn’t care in the least!

One thing’s for sure, everyone that’s had one (NOLA natives in particular) has a favorite type. There are a few different methods for preparing the roast beef — from thinly sliced and layered to pot-roast style (where the slow-cooked meat is shredded or chopped), and most famously (and perhaps most hard to come by) those using “debris,” which is essentially a hearty gravy made up of bits of meat and char that have fallen from the roast

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds beef top round or chuck roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound thick cut bacon (about 6 slices), diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium beef, veal, or chicken stock, or a mix
5 large cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 small French baguettes or hoagie rolls
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomatoes
Mayonnaise
Provolone cheese (optional)

Instructions

Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
Set a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is starting to turn golden-brown. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl of a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
Add the beef to the skillet with the bacon grease and sear until golden-brown, about 10 minutes per side; transfer to the bowl of the slow cooker. Pour off all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Return the heat to high. Pour in the wine and reduce by half, stirring to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the wine mixture to the bowl of the slow cooker.
Add the stock, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker and cover with the lid. Cook on low for 7 hours (or high for 4 hours).
When done, remove the meat from the cooker and shred with two forks. Chop to desired texture and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven of heavy skillet on medium heat until foaming. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it turns a shade of amber and gives off a nutty smell.
Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into the skillet with the roux. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the gravy until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir the chopped meat into the gravy, taste, and adjust any seasonings if necessary.
To assemble the po' boys, slather the bread with a generous amount of mayonnaise. Top with shredded meat and gravy. Serve with shredded lettuce and tomatoes, if desired.