Philippe, The Original

For dinner last night I made us a classic Southern California favorite -- French Dipped Sandwiches. Legend has it that the original was made by mistake at a lunch stand in downtown Los Angeles, in 1908. The restaurant, still in operation and very busy, is Philippe, The Original and it moved to its current location in 1951.

At Philippe's they take long French bread rolls, dip one or both cut-sides in au jus and fill them up with roast beef, pork or lamb. It's all done with lightning speed and you get to watch.

We had beef in our sandwiches last night. For my version of French Dipped Sandwiches I cut the rolls lengthwise and put them under the broiler crust-side up for a minute. Then turn them over and spread the cut-sides with a light garlic butter and give them about two minutes in the broiler until the edges start to brown. Then I stuff them with thin slices of deli roast beef and serve with small bowls of hot beef broth for dipping each bite. I usually use the low salt beef broth so I can reduce it a little to intensify the flavor. Potato salad or coleslaw is a good accompanyment.