French Dip Sandwich with Au Jus

This is now one of my brother's favorite sandwiches. He actually referred to them as "Fronch Deep" sandwiches. I have a feeling that I will be getting a few more requests for it in the future. I normally don't like making just a simple sandwich,which is why I like this recipe; it is a simple recipe, but I feel that I put a little more effort into it because I am making the au jus (I also make the rolls, but beside the point).

Tips:

Perfect onions - to get great caramelized onions, use low heat, a little butter and cover the pan.

Visit the deli - I've made this sandwich several times, and it seems to go over better when I visit the deli for roast beef and not the prepacked sandwich meats.  

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

 Servings: 4 sandwiches

2 cups Au jus

1 tablespoon butter  
1 large onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound roast beef, sliced 
2 cups water

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 
1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 bay leaf 
3 to 4 whole peppercorns 
4 French or Hoagie rolls, split


Directions: 

1) In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter. 

2) Add sliced onions into the saucepan with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss the onions in the butter to coat them. Cover the saucepan, stirring occasionally, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the onions are caramelized. Meanwhile, cook the au jus.

3) In another saucepan over medium heat, add the sliced roast beef into the pan for 1/2 minutes to sear the meat. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

4) Add the water to the pan and scrape any bits of meat from the bottom. Stir in soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. 

5) Remove the pan from heat and take out the peppercorns and bay leaf. 

6) Place the roast beef into the au jus to absorb some juice.

7) Separate the rolls and spread a thin layer of caramelized onions on the top half. 

8) Carefully remove the roast beef from the au jus and place onto the other half of the roll.

9) Place to sandwich halves together.Serve the sandwiches warm and with a small bowl of au jus.