Yes, Chef. The Bear Cookbook: Seasons 1 & 2, Unofficial: The Bear Cookbooks, #3

By Hank Finnegan

Made by super fans of The Bear for fans of The Bear. This is the unofficial cookbook for Seasons 1 & 2 of "The Bear" - I've combined the first two books to make the price better for fellow fans.

The book has pretty much every recipe from the first two seasons for FX's The Bear. But whether you're interested in the recipes, cookbooks featured in the show, the soundtracks, the restaurants, kitchen lingo or the menus, this cookbook has you covered.

What won't you get? This isn't for professional chefs. If you want to use sphericators and candy floss machines, you're in the wrong place. There aren't fancy pictures either. BUT, if you want to know how to make The Bear's savory cannoli, Marcus' Chocolate Cake, Ecto-cooler, Danish hot dogs, Chicago dogs dragged through the garden, The Honeybun, The Broth, or figure out what Richie smokes, you're in the right joint, Chef.

Is this a fun gift for fans of the show? Yes, Chef.

If anyone other than me purchases this, proceeds will be donated to serve people dealing with alcoholism and addiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kid Sister Books
• Release date: Jun 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227436276

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

SYSTEM: SEASON 1, EPISODE 1

BEEF 101

When it comes to Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, there's a whole raft of terms that can leave the uninitiated flummoxed. Don’t worry sandwich Magellan, we’ve got maps.

Here’s some lingo you might encounter when placing your order:

Chicago Style: This refers to the overall style of the sandwich, which includes:

Italian beef (thinly sliced roast beef)

Italian roll (kind of like a hoagie bun; a hearty roll, soft enough to soak up the juices but sturdy enough to hold up under the weight of the meat and toppings)

Au jus (the flavorful broth the beef is cooked in)

Optional toppings: Giardiniera (pickled vegetable relish), sweet peppers, mozz

Wet/Dry/Dipped: This refers to how much gravy the sandwich is dipped in:

Dry: The beef is served without being dipped, with minimal drippings.

Wet: The sandwich is dipped in the au jus before being served.

Dipped: The entire sandwich, bread and all, is submerged in the gravy for a gloriously messy, juice-dripping experience. You’ll have to pull off the Chicago Lean to eat this one.

Giardiniera: A spicy pickled vegetable relish, often including sport peppers, celery, cauliflower, carrots, and jalapeños.

Hot: This doesn't refer to temperature, but to the addition of giardiniera.

Sweet: Without giardiniera, but with sliced, roasted bell peppers.

Sweet & Hot: With giardiniera and bell peppers.

Cheese: This isn’t a Philly Cheesesteak - Chicago-style Italian beef doesn't typically include cheese. However, some places will add mozzarella or provolone, just ask for cheese or mozz.

The Good Stuff:

Gravy/Jus/Juice: These terms all refer to the savory broth the meat is cooked in.

Putting it all together:

Italian Beef, hot, dipped: The classic order, a messy, spicy, beefy masterpiece.

Beef, sweet, wet: A milder, but equally delicious alternative.

So there you have it, a crash course in Chicago's most iconic sandwich. Now you can confidently stroll up to the counter and order a hot, wet, dipped beef with sweet peppers and mozz like a native. Just don't forget the napkins.

THE CHICAGO LEAN

Sorry to disappoint you so early, but this not about purple drank or sizzurp.⁠*

Whether you know it or not, you’ve been in intense training for the Chicago Lean your whole life. It may seem like a simple technique for eating a messy sammich at a counter, but it employs core elements of the following athletic feats:

a. The Awkward Middle School Slow Dance

b. The Hugging Your Boss

c. Blowing Out Birthday Candles

d. Drinking a Juice Box with a Broken Straw

e. Pretending to be Interested in a Meeting

g. The Biathlon

The key here is the lean. It’s the elbows firmly planted, it’s the hips out, it’s the vital distance between you and the sandwich.

Here's how you do it:

Stand away from the counter, maybe 6 inches or 12cm. You want to give adequate space for the sandwich and avoiding splash back.

Plant your feet a foot or two apart - you basically want to have solid footing. This is your anchor, your port in the storm of beefy goodness.

Lean forward at a 45-degree angle. Imagine you're making a triangle with yourself, the counter, and the sandwich. (Who knew we’d use so much geometry as adults? Got me feeling like Euclid out here.)

Pick up the sandwich, resting your elbows on the counter for stability.

Hold the sandwich at an angle with its top end towards your mouth and its bottom end pointed away. This is critical for maintaining your shirt’s integrity.

Dig in, bud. You've earned it.

Real Gs move in silence like lasagna.

LIL WAYNE

CHICAGO ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES

Serves 8; 24 to 48 hours of cook/ prep time

Giardiniera: 30 minutes prep time, +24 hours pickling time

Beef: 45 minutes prep time, 3-5 hours cook time, optional 24 hours post-cook chilling time

This is the sort of sandwich you bite into and it makes you realize that meditation may work because you feel totally present in the moment, and you discover that being present feels good. It’s the sort of sandwich you dream of when you’re in the Peace Corps and it’s 2:37am and all you can hear is the mosquitoes and the auditory hallucinations from the janky anti-malarial medicine they gave you, but all you can think of is the hot, sour greatness of an Al’s #1 Italian Beef.

To create a (semi) authentic Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich, you'll need to invest time and care into preparing the beef, jus, and giardiniera. Start by making the giardiniera at least 24 hours before you want to enjoy the sandwich.

Ingredients

For the beef:

Ideally, use a cheaper cut of steak. Top round roast is great. Flank steak, hanger steak, tri-tip steak, top sirloin steak, flat-iron steak, and flap steak are all good alternatives. Avoid premium cuts like sirloin, tenderloin, or filet as they are too tender and lack the necessary texture after slow-cooking.

3 lbs (1.4 kg) top round roast

2 tbsp Italian seasoning blend

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, quartered

2 celery ribs, cut into 5 cm (pinkie-length) pieces

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 5 cm (pinkie-length) pieces

4 cups beef broth

1 cup water

For the Italian seasoning:

Like all families (each alike in dignity) we grew up with a spice rack which contained jars of spices from 23 years ago, when half a tsp of mace was needed for that dinner party that one time. But we weren’t spice mix people. In case you’re like us, this is the recipe for Italian seasoning:

2 tbsp Basil

2 tbsp Oregano

1 tbsp Rosemary

½ tbsp Marjoram

½ tbsp Thyme

For the Giardiniera:

This is a simple quick pickle for people who want sandwiches. This is not a lesson in canning or making something that will last 3 years in your cellar during the lean years. Please refer to a proper canner for that sort of information.

If you prefer a milder giardiniera, remove the seeds and ribs from the serrano chiles before slicing. For a spicier kick, keep the seeds in or even add an extra chile or two. Remember, you can always start mild and add more heat later, but you can't take it away once it's in there.

Tina includes fennel in her giardiniera; do what feels good to you.

If you’d like life to be a bit easier, save time by going for a jar of a lovely store bought option like Mezzetta.

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 carrots, cut into 1-centimeter pieces

2 celery ribs, sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-cm pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-cm pieces

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1-2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

1/2 cup pitted mixed olives (optional)

1 tbsp oregano leaves

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp black peppercorns, cracked

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup olive oil

For the Bread

Italian or French Rolls are what’s right here - a Turano-brand French Roll is particularly perfect. I’d recommend Googling Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches to get a sense of what we’re looking for in terms of bread.

Out here in Wawa country, Hoagie rolls are king; your shop or market may have another nice kind. We’re looking for something with a bit of strength to it, strong gluten that holds it together.

No French Rolls? No problem. All sorts of bread would still land you in delicious territory.⁠* You could even do worse than a baguette.⁠*

Instructions

Beef Preparation

Ideally, let meat come to room temperature - this allows for better searing and for more even cooking throughout. If you can’t wait, I get it.

Preheat the oven to 275°F/135°C.

Combine Italian seasoning blend, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Pat it into all sides of the meat.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown and sear the roast on all sides. For this home cook, the trick to browning seems to be patience - waiting a little longer than I’d expect before checking the meat. America’s Test Kitchen also has terrific content about proper browning technique.

Add vegetables around roast along with bay leaves. Pour in broth and water. Bring to a boil on the stove.

Cover pot and transfer to a 275°F/135°C oven. Cook for 3-4 hours until the meat is fork tender.

Checking meat for tenderness: To check if your beef is fork-tender, give it a gentle prod with a fork. If the meat easily falls apart or shreds with minimal effort, it's ready to come out of the oven. If it still feels firm or tough, let it keep cooking and check again in 30-minute increments until it reaches that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Remove roast from pot and let rest at least 15 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Many of the Chicago’s best Beef joints recommend chilling the beef for 24 hours after it cooks, so that it holds together nicely when sliced. These establishments take the cooked beef, chill it 24 hours, slice thin and then return to hot jus before serving. If you can wait that long, I salute you. While a 24-hour chill is ideal, that's not always possible. If you're short on time, 15 minutes is better than nothing. However, the beef may be more difficult to slice thinly and might fall apart a bit more.

Thin slicing ≤ 0.5 cm against the grain is key for texture.

To serve: Pile beef and vegetables on rolls. Spoon over the jus/ gravy for moist sandwiches.

Jus Preparation

Strain the cooking liquid to remove the bay leaf and vegetables.

De-fat the liquid by skimming fat off the top or pouring into a fat separator.

Transfer defatted liquid to saucepan and place over medium heat.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, until reduced to desired consistency and richness.

Taste and season judiciously with salt and pepper as needed.

Giardiniera Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, carrots, celery, bell peppers, garlic, serrano chiles and olives.

In a jar or measuring cup, combine the oregano, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, cracked black peppercorns, salt, vinegar and olive oil. Shake vigorously to emulsify.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables and stir well until evenly coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving to allow flavors to develop, stirring occasionally.

Store pickled vegetables in the refrigerator.

Notes for the Giardiniera:

Adjust serrano chiles to suit your desired spice level; for a milder giardiniera, you can remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño pepper.

Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your desired level of spiciness.

Fennel seed and red pepper flakes add warmth and complexity.

Cracked black peppercorns provide punch.

Quick pickling allows more crisp-tender texture.

You could add fennel, onions or green beans, if you’re into it.

Assembling the Sandwich

You know sandwiches, right? Well this is just like that!

Build the Sandwich: Pile the thinly sliced beef onto the bread, add the giardiniera, and optionally, roasted green bell peppers for a sweet flavor.

Dip in Jus: For an authentic touch, dip the sandwich ends in the jus to make it moist and flavorful.

Cheese: Yeah, you can add cheese if you like. Gatekeeping is for farms, not sandwiches.

Cheat’s Meat

Okay, so cooking that beautiful beef may not be in the cards for everyone. We don’t always have time to futz around in the kitchen. So what to do? It depends on your situation:

TYPE 1: Some may call you lazy, I say you’re an economic hero supporting the hospitality industry:

Try going to restaurants or order online from Portillo’s or Goldbelly (they carry Al’s #1 Italian Beef and all!)

TYPE 2: YOLO is your guiding philosophy and you’ll try anything once, whether it’s ketamine, Philip Roth or the latest flavor of Cheetos. Wildchild? Maybe. A scientist of life? Most definitely:

Give thin-sliced top round a go. You can buy it in the beef section of many grocery stores; sometimes it’s labeled shaved beef, stir-fry beef or extra thin beef. Just heat it up in the jus until it's nice and hot, then pile it on your sandwich.

You'll have to buy or make the gravy/jus separately.

TYPE 3: You’re a master of efficiency. Whether you’re known for flawless execution done right, or dirty deeds done dirt cheap, you are the Sultan of Speed:

Go to the deli for thin-sliced rare roast beef. Again, you’ll have to buy the gravy/ jus separately. Heat the beef in the jus until it's steaming, then load it up on your roll. Remember, to buy or make the gravy/jus separately.

None of these will perfectly mirror the Beef experience, but if you’re at home and this show is making you desperate for a sandwich and you don’t live in Chicago, these suggestions will help fill that need.

FAMILY MEAL PLANTAIN STEW

Serves 4, 40 minutes

Sydney’s first family meal is beef stew, plantains, fennel salad and rice. Mixing it up a little, here’s a delicious vegetarian plantain stew, which I recommend serving with rice.

Ingredients

2 ripe plantains, peeled and cut