• Preheat the oven to 300° and put the rack one below the center.
• Trace the bottom of the dutch oven on a piece of parchment paper. Cut out the circle and set aside. You have just made a cartouche (parchment "lid) that fits inside the dutch oven but still allows evaporation

Prep the beef

• Cut the bottom round roast in 2 equal pieces so they fit comfortably side by side in the Dutch oven.
• Brown meat in oil on all sides over high heat for about 2 minutes per side until golden. Remove meat to plate and add 1 T fennel seeds to toast.
  4 lbs top round roast, 3 T veg oil, 1 Tablespoon whole fennel seeds
• Mix the toasted fennel seeds and remaining spices in a small bowl.
  garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper
• Deglaze pan with beef stock.
  1 qt beef stock
• Add water, stock paste and the spice blend.
  1 1/2 qt water, 1 T Better Than Bouillon
• Add beef sections back into the pot and cover with the cartouche. Braise meat for 3 hours.
• Remove meat from the au jus and immediately wrap each piece of meat individually in plastic wrap and place on a plate in the freezer for about 30 minutes (or so) if you are eating the same day.

  If you aren't planning to serve right away, place the wrapped beef in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
• Remove the beef from the freezer and using a very sharp slicing knife, cut the beef into very thin almost shave slices. If you plan to use a meat slicer, freeze the meat a little longer (about 1- 1 1/2 hours).

For the au jus

• Meanwhile, set a strainer in a bowl and pour the juice from the pot over the strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much beef au jus as possible.
• Next, pour the strained au jus back into the Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the thinly sliced beef and toss in the au jus for about 3 minutes or until warmed through.
• Slice long loaf of French bread into sandwich size segments and cut to open on one side. Don't cut all the way through.
• Pile thinly sliced beef into the loaf French bread and top with optional giardiniera or sweet and/or hot peppers.
  grated cheddar cheese, sliced mozzarella or provolone cheese(s), sweet peppers, hot peppers (giardinieria)