Have you seen the Hulu show called, “The Bear”?
I admit I only started watching it a few weeks ago but I ended up bingeing the first three seasons in that short time and as I’m writing this we are sitting 5 days from season four’s drop. That will be on June 25th and I’m really looking forward to it.
Now if you came here for a recipe, don’t fear. It’s here. It’s a hacked version of, “the only thing that makes money” at The Bear – that is the Italian Beef Sandwich. And it’s delicious.
You can scroll right down to the recipe and video if you like.
You will not be sorry as this sandwich uses just a few ingredients including an inexpensive cut of meat yet it packs a whole lot of flavor. It’s rich and satisfying.
But…..
I hope you will take a few minutes to engage with me on the TV show itself and tell me your thoughts…..
I’ve been away from professional kitchens for a long long time but when I watch, “The Bear”, I find myself thinking, “Yeah, that is exactly what it was like”. Well, except we did a lot less swearing back in the golden age of pompous dinning. Or at least less swearing in English. We may have used a similar number of curse words only we spit them out in the Spanish, Greek and Mandarin languages.
That aside, everything else…..the long hours and high pressure, the errors and recovery, the back-of-house / front-of-house friction, equipment failures, and especially working with colleagues, all who either acted crazy, had just been released from lockup or a methadone program or hid in the basement when immigration and naturalization services showed up. We were all oddballs and social misfits and thankful that we had the skills to be accepted in what was likely the only place for us – the kitchen.
So tell me. Is it still like that in the business? Tell me what it’s like on the line now-a-days.
If you are not up to date as of Season 3 of “The Bear”, you may want to stop here to avoid any spoilers.
If you are current please tell me if you think, as I do, that Season 3 was not quite as good as the first two.
Do you feel that Richard’s character transformation from cut-up to caring is too drastic to be believable?
Will Uncle Jimmy realize the profit he needs to forestall foreclosure?
And what about Sidney? Is she going to sign on as owner or jump ship?
Finally, is it all over between Carmy and Claire?
Do you have other questions of your own?
Kindly let me know. You can use the “Leave a Reply” section below. I’d love to know what you are thinking.
Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich (ala “The Bear”)
Equipment
- Enough Parchment Paper To Individually Wrap Six Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2½ – 4 lb Beef Bottom Round
- ½ Cup Diced Celery
- ½ Cup Diced Carrot
- ½ Cup Diced Onion
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- ½ Cup Giardiniera, Cut Into Small Pieces, with Juice
- ¼ Cup Pepperoncini, Sliced
- 3-4 Cups Beef Stock
- 6 Each Italian Style Hero Rolls
- ½ Tbsp Dry Italian Seasoning (or Oregano, Basil, Marjoram)
- Small Amount Olive Oil
- To Taste Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Salt and pepper beef & saute in oil over medium to high heat, browning all sides. Remove beef & set it aside.
- Saute celery, carrot onion & garlic in the pan used to brown the meat until slightly browned. Add ½ cup of beef stock and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
- Add sliced pepperoncini, return the beef to the pan & add more beef stock until it covers about ½ of the beef.
- Add giardiniera & juice, bring the liquid to a simmer, cover & place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 125-135 degrees.
- Remove beef to a separate plate and refrigerate to make it easier to slice in next step. Transfer the stock & vegetables to a sauce pan & bring to a low simmer to reduce it a bit and concentrate the flavors.
- Slice the cool beef across the grain as thinly as possible & slice the rolls ¾ of the way through horizontally.
- Just prior to serving, take enough of the sliced beef to fill a sandwich & dip it into the simmering broth for 3 or 4 seconds then transfer it directly to one of the rolls. Add some of the vegetables & some broth to the top of the sandwich, close the sandwich and roll it in a piece of parchment paper. Let it sit for at lease a few moments so that the flavors can expand throughout the sandwich then cut and serve.
I just watched episode 7 of season 4 of, “The Bear”, and I have a few thoughts.
First, it is brilliant and incredibly interesting and entertaining. Watching it I felt a bit of the anxiousness and excitement that I often experience just prior to and during the first 20 or 30 minutes of a large gathering of my own family and friends. It’s an eagerness to interact with the people you care the most about. Some you may not have seen for a while, some with whom some unresolved issues may be sleeping, some whom you only need to think about to bring a smile to your face. Then the wonder if things will go smoothly or if someone may drive a sedan through a wall before it’s all over.
The second thing I realized is that the episode represented a point that could have been the end of the story. I feel this way because they resolved enough of the story lines to satisfy the audience while leaving enough unresolved issues for watchers to imagine conclusions of their own. To me, this makes for a satisfying user experience. It also leaves space for the story to continue. I’m looking forward to the last three episodes of this season and I wonder how the writers will maintain the quality and the momentum of the story especially since the show has been renewed for a 5th season.
What do you think?