Chicago-Style Italian Roast Venison Sandwich
In the early 1900s, immigrant workers in the stockyards of Chicago took home tough cuts of meat that couldn't be sold. They slowly cooked these cuts in spices to become tender. This recipe originated from the necessity to tenderize the tough meat, and slicing the meat extremely thin also played a role in the development of this sandwich. While traditionally the meat is not brined, I find it is a useful step when adapting this recipe for venison. I use the brine and cooking liquids to make a very rich au jus or "gravy" for finishing the sandwich. Although I have never been to Chicago to have the original, I believe my rendition captures the soul of the sandwich. Don't forget the giardiniera, and if you want to really step it up a notch, dunk the whole sandwich in the gravy before eating it.
Ingredients
1 elk or 2 deer top round roasts, brined for 24–48 hours in Wild Game Chef’s brine recipe
4–8 tablespoons butter
2 baguettes
½ pound provolone cheese, sliced
2 green peppers, sliced thinly
For Serving
Giardiniera pickled vegetables
Pepperchinis (optional)
Directions
After the deer or elk top round roast has been submerged in the brine for 24–48 hours, pull it out and reserve the brine. This will be strained, and served as the aus jus for dipping the hot sandwiches.
The roast can either be cooked using a sous vide in a water bath or cooked in the oven, barbecue or pellet smoker.
Sous Vide Instructions
Pull the roast from the brine, and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the roast in a large vacuum seal bag with 2 tablespoons butter, and remove all the air and seal it with a vacuum sealer. You can also place the roast in a large zip-close bag with the 2 tablespoons of butter and seal it after removing as much air as possible. Be sure to double bag it in case of a leak.
Place the sealed bag in a water bath, and set the sous vide to 130 F and cook for 12 hours. Be sure the entire bag is submerged. Use a large heavy bowl to hold the bag under water if needed.
After the roast(s) have cooked in the water bath, remove them from the bag, reserving all the liquid in the bag. This will be used to make the aus jus with the reserved brine. Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Place the cooked roast in the refrigerator covered for at least 3 hours to cool or up to a couple days before slicing it for the sandwiches.
Add all the juices to the entire gallon of brine, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the volume of liquid is reduced by 30%.
Pour the reduced brine over a fine colander lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl or tupperware to strain out all the solids. Allow the aus jou to cool, and then place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.
Oven, Barbecue or Pellet Smoker Cooking
Pull the roast from the brine, and pat it dry with paper towels. Heat the oven, barbecue or pellet smoker to 350 F. While cooking the roast with one of these methods, you will want to catch and reserve any liquid or fat that cooks out of the meat. To do this, place a metal drying rack over a large 9 by 13 lipped cooking tray and fill it half way up with the leftover brine. The pan of brine will catch all the juices that cook out of the meat. It is necessary to add the brine to the tray before it is placed in the heat so that the drippings don’t dry out at the bottom of the tray in the heat. Cook the roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 F. The cook time will vary depending on the size of your roast.
Once the roast is up to temperature, remove it from the heat and cover it, place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to a couple days before slicing it to make the sandwiches.
Add the tray of drippings and brine to the gallon of leftover brine, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the volume of liquid is reduced by 30%.
Pour the reduced brine over a fine colander lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl or tupperware to strain out all the solids. Allow the aus jou to cool and then place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.
Sandwich Instructions
Pour the aus jou into a pan, and heat it over medium heat on the stove. Slice the meat very thin. This is easiest if you have a meat slicer, but it can also be achieved using a large sharp knife. You will want to slice up the whole roast.
In a medium frying pan, heat ½ tablespoon of butter, and add the sliced green pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until desired doneness is achieved.
Cut the baguette in sections the length you want each sandwich. Then slice the sections in half lengthwise. Butter both cut sides of the bread and place face down in a large frying pan or on a griddle over medium heat. Cook until the bread is lightly browned. Remove the bread from the heat and place the sliced provolone cheese on the bread that will be the bottom of your sandwich. Dredge the sliced meat in the hot aus jou and layer it on the cheese. Top the meat with the cooked green pepper slices, giardiniera pickled vegetables and top of the baguette. Serve with a bowl of aus jus and pepperchinis (optional).