I first had this unforgettable Italian steak sandwich at my then-boyfriend, now-husband’s childhood home umpteen years ago. My mother-in-law lifted the top of her big, gorgeous steel roaster (I still covet it) and the rich smell that came out immediately knocked me out. And inside looked to be a rich, red tomato sauce over a beef roast yet it smelled nothing like the of Italian red sauces of my childhood.
Get ready to press “print”, my friend, because this is one you’ll want to keep for graduation parties, Sunday suppers, family dinners and more!
One disclaimer. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I rarely use processed or packaged ingredients in my recipes. This beef recipe does contain packaged onion soup mix. Just felt the need to let you know.
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Caraway seed tomato sauce
Crazy, right? And it’s not Hungarian goulash or anything close to it. My MIL was part Bohemian, part Italian and before I met her, my experience on all things caraway seed was zilch. You just don’t see a lot of it in Italian cooking.
Whether it’s the caraway seed combined with the tomatoes or the caraway seed plus the onion soup mix and herb seasoning, everything seasons this into the best beef sandwich!
Ingredient notes: beef roast
- The cut of beef you’ll look for is a sirloin tip roast -about 5 or 6 lbs.
- One 6 lb. roast will serve about 10-12 people each having one large sandwich.
- The roast will take 4 hours to cook (but is even better made a day or two ahead).
Other key ingredients
Tomato sauce. Different from whole tomatoes in that it has a little seasoning already in it and is typically thicker in consistency (although not as thick as paste)
Onion soup mix. I use Lipton’s onion soup mix but you can use your favorite brand.
Seasoned pepper. This might be one you’ll have to pick up at the store. I use McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper, a blend of black and red peppers along with paprika.
Sandwich rolls. My favorite bread to serve this on is a French or ciabatta roll because you need something sturdy enough to hold the sauce. Something like a brioche roll would be really soft (although if that’s your preference, go for it!).
How to make Italian sirloin roast sandwiches
- Season the beef.
In addition to the seasoned pepper mentioned above, combine the following dried herbs in a small bowl:
- Basil
- Oregano
- Garlic powder
And then you’re going to take the seasoning and sprinkle it on all sides of the roast. Don’t forget to season the ends! (That’s more of a note for me probably 😊)
- Mix the tomato sauce.
To a large bowl, add the tomato sauce. Stir in the caraway seed, onion soup mix and bay leaves.
- Brown the roast.
In a large dutch oven (5 1/2 or 7 qt is where I’d start), heat some vegetable oil in over medium high heat until hot. My MIL used shortening but either works.
Add the beef and use tongs or a meat for, brown on all sides about 2 minutes per side. You want it to have a nice sear.
- Add sauce and roast the meat.
Pour the sauce over the beef and spoon over the beef. Cover the pot and place in a preheated oven to cook for 4 hours.
Pro tip
I typically double the sauce recipe as it thickens as it cooks. It’s the best gravy. A good one to eat over polenta too!
Slicing and serving.
Toast rolls in the oven at 400° on a sheet pan.
Remove the cooked sirloin roast to a cutting board and slice or shred. Ladle some sauce into a bowl for those who like things extra saucy (me!)
Add the sliced/shredded beef back into the sauce and toss with tongs until coated.
Layer beef onto toasted rolls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Made this recipe?
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Slow Roasted Sirloin Beef Sandwich with Caraway Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- large dutch oven
Ingredients
- 6 lb sirloin tip roast
- basil
- oregano
- garlic powder
- seasoned pepper
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil, or olive oil (my MIL used Crisco)
For the sauce
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 sandwich rolls, I like ciabatta rolls or small French rolls
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° with a rack set on to the middle or lower third of the oven.
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels on all sides. Sprinkle each seasoning over every side of the roast – don’t forget the ends!6 lb sirloin tip roast, basil, oregano, garlic powder, seasoned pepper
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven (5.5 qt minimum) or a roaster with a lid over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown the seasoned meat on each side, 2 minutes per side until golden. Resist the urge to move the meat and if it sticks, let it brown a little longer as needed.2 Tablespoons canola oil
For the sauce
- In a medium bowl, stir the sauce, soup mix, water and caraway seeds together until the soup mix is well incorporated. Sprinkle in the bay leaves.15 oz can tomato sauce, 1 cup water, 1 envelope onion soup mix, 2 teaspoons caraway seeds, 2 bay leaves
- Pour the sauce over the meat in the Dutch oven or roaster and spoon sauce to coat the meat. Roast the meat for 4 hours.
- Turn the meat once while roasting (at about the 2 hour point).
- To tell if done, poke with a long meat fork. It should feel tender.
Assemble the sandwiches
- Remove roast from the sauce to a cutting board. Use a slicing knife and large fork to slice or shred the roast (it also might be falling apart).Add the slices back to the Dutch oven and coat in the sauce.
- Slice rolls in half and toast in a 400° oven until toasted. You can drizzle olive oil on the rolls if you like before toasting. Use tongs to fill the rolls and sprinkle over parmesan.Serve the sauce on the side for those who love extra gravy.10 sandwich rolls, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Notes
Use 2 5 lb roasts to feed 30 people with four recipes of sauce.
Slice before freezing separately from the sauce.
Incredible! Made last night. So very good.
This makes me so happy and it would make my MIL even happier! Thanks for trying one of our favorite beef sandwich recipes! 🤍