French dip sandwiches have not changed a lot since their creation. Thin sliced roast beef is simmered in an au jus gravy, served with swiss cheese and grilled onions on a toasted baguette that is either basted, dipped, or dunked in the au jus broth.
As a good, hearty meal, the french dip sandwich can be found on most diner menus and in a few fast food joints. But for truckers cooking in their own truck, a prime example of a french dip sandwich is made by Yulee, Florida’s Shawn McDowell, and his Fifth Wheel Bistro, the nickname for his truck cab kitchen.
Ingredients:
- London broil or similar meat
- Veggies – Mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, celery
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, celery powder, onion powder, garlic powder
- Liquid smoke
- Beef and veggie bullion or stock
- Cheese – Swiss or preferred
- Baguette or sub roll
Shawn starts with a near-frozen London Broil, the fancy name for a flank steak, a top round roast, or a top sirloin. He cuts it down into bite-size pieces.
He then preps the veggies of his choice, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and celery. He also readies his seasonings, pink Himalayan salt, black pepper, liquid smoke, vegetable base, and beef bullion.
After browning the roast beef, he adds the liquid smoke, veggie and beef bases, vegetables, and just enough water to simmer down the toppings and tenderize the meat. Once cooked down to his liking, Shawn toasts some gluten-free baguettes in some butter to a nice golden brown.
He takes a serving of the topping and adds a thick slice of cheddar cheese, using some au jus to steam the cheese. After that, lunch is served with a big, steamy bowl of au jus gravy to sink the sandwich into.
While not the most healthy food you could cook up in a truck, it might be nice to have on a cold run through the mountains and snow-covered plains. If you don’t want to do all the prep work, there are meal kits at some grocery stores where all you need to do is put it in a saucepan and heat it up.
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