Prime Rib French Dip with Quick Skillet Jus

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A steakhouse-style French dip built for the day after a roast. Shave cold prime rib paper-thin, build a fast pan jus from shallots, red wine and beef stock enriched with the roast's own trimmings, then warm the beef in it for only seconds so it stays rosy. The roll gets buttered, toasted and lightly hollowed so it drinks up jus without collapsing, and a sharp horseradish cream cuts the richness.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb cooked prime rib or roast beef, cold
• 2 oz reserved prime rib fat cap and trimmings, chopped (optional)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp prepared horseradish, drained
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped chives

• 4 sturdy French or Italian sub rolls, 6 to 7 inches
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 4 slices provolone cheese (optional)
• 1/4 cup hot giardiniera, drained and chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Take the cold prime rib out of the fridge and trim off any thick fat cap; chop the trimmings and reserve them for the jus. Using your sharpest knife, shave the beef against the grain into slices no thicker than 1/8 inch — cold meat slices far more cleanly than room-temperature meat. Pile the slices loosely on a plate and set aside.
2. Start the jus: set a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the chopped beef trimmings, if using. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until they render and brown. Remove and discard the solids, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. If you skipped the trimmings, simply add 1 tablespoon butter.
3. Add 1 tablespoon butter, the shallot, garlic and thyme. Cook 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until the shallot is soft and golden at the edges. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more, until it darkens to brick red and smells toasty.
4. Pour in the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pan clean, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by half and no longer smelling sharp. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, soy sauce and bay leaf. Simmer briskly for 12 to 15 minutes, until the jus has reduced to about 2 cups and tastes concentrated. Season with salt and pepper, then strain into a small saucepan and keep at a bare simmer over low heat.
5. While the jus reduces, whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, Dijon, lemon juice and chives in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and refrigerate until serving.
6. Heat the oven to 400°F. Split the rolls, pull out a shallow trough of soft crumb from the top half (this is the trick that keeps a dipped sandwich from turning to mush), and spread the cut faces with the softened butter. Bake cut side up on a sheet pan for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edges are crisp and dry to the touch. If using provolone, lay a slice on each bottom half for the final 2 minutes to melt.
7. Warm the beef right before serving: ladle about 1 cup of the simmering jus into the skillet over medium-low heat, add the shaved beef in two batches, and swirl for just 20 to 30 seconds per batch — long enough to heat through, short enough that the slices stay pink. Lift the beef out with tongs, letting excess jus drip back into the pan.
8. Mound a quarter of the hot beef into each toasted roll, season with a pinch of flaky salt and pepper, scatter with giardiniera if you like, and spread the top half with horseradish cream. Press the sandwich closed and cut in half on a diagonal.
9. Pour the remaining jus into 4 small cups or ramekins, add any jus left in the skillet, and serve alongside for dipping. Eat immediately, while the roll is still crisp.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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