French Dip Panini with Stout Au Jus

Ryan has been BEGGGING me to make french dips, finally, tonight we made that happen. We bought some sandwich roll things at Costco, which were quite tasty, used Boar's Head italian roast beef, I couldn't find 'spanish onion', after googling, I found people substitute them for sweet onion. Also, instead of the garlic and mayo sauce (Ry Ry can't stand mayo) we used a creamy peppercorn sauce we had a mix for (penzy spices)

Overall, tasted good, the Au Jus was great. Easy weekend meal. I could say you could even jazz up the sandwiches with other yummies...

French Dip Panini with Stout Au Jus

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Author: Justine

Serves: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 cloves of garlic, roasted and smashed
• ½ cup mayo
• salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil + extra for brushing
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, raw and finely minced
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1½ cup stout beer
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 large spanish onions, sliced thin
• 1 lb roast beef, thinly sliced (deli-style or roasted)
• 8 slices baby swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 loaf French boule (recipe here or store-bought), sliced thick into 8 equal slices

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the 4 cloves of smashed, roasted garlic, mayo and a dash of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Whisk until all ingredients are incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook until translucent. Add the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the corn starch and cook for another minute. Whisk in the beef stock, stout beer, bouillon cubes and fresh thyme. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 20-25 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly. Adjust seasoning to taste by adding salt and pepper (be careful, bouillon is also very salty). Set aside until you’re ready to use.
3. In another saute pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and lower the heat to medium-low. Allow the onions to cook slowly to a slightly caramelized state. Remove from heat once they have reached your desired consistency.
4. Preheat your panini maker if you are using one (or preheat a cast iron grill pan) so it is ready when you are finished assembling your sandwiches. Brush your bread slices with a teaspoon or two of olive oil. Assemble them in the following order: 1 teaspoon roasted garlic mayo, 1 slice of baby swiss, 3-4 slices of roast beef, onions, 1 more slice of baby swiss, 1 teaspoon roasted garlic mayo. Repeat this step for the remaining three sandwiches. Cook on your panini maker per the manufacturer’s instructions or on your cast iron grill pan until the cheese is melted and you have grill marks on both sides: about 3-4 minutes on each side.
5. Serve with your stout au jus and enjoy!