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+ servings
A roast beef debris po boy on French bread with lettuce, tomato, and pickles.
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4.86 from 21 votes

Roast Beef Debris

Roast Beef Debris is a New Orleans classic - tender, shredded beef in a flavorful sauce that just melts in your mouth. Served on crunchy French bread and fully dressed with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes - it is so delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Thickening Sauce/Resting Beef10 minutes
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Cajun, Southern
Keyword: roast beef debris, roast beef po boys, roast beef sandwich
Cooking Method: Oven
Servings: 8
Calories: 78kcal
Author: Kari

Equipment

  • dutch oven or oven safe pot

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
  • 1 3 - 4 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup sliced yellow onion
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

Thickening Slurry

  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot for Paleo

For Serving

  • French bread
  • shredded iceberg lettuce
  • sliced tomatoes
  • sliced dill pickles
  • mayonnaise

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Trim the roast, then liberally season all sides with salt and pepper.
  • Heat oil in an oven safe dutch oven over medium heat, then sear the meat on all sides. The roast should be lightly browned on the outside, but still raw in the middle. It should take about 3 minutes per side.
    3 tablespoons avocado, vegetable, or canola oil, 1 3 - 4 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed
  • Once the meat is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan but keep the heat on.
  • Add the onions and garlic to the remaining oil and cook until the onions are soft.
    1 cup sliced yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Next, add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
    ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • Stir until the onions are coated in the tomato paste, then add the beef broth to deglaze the pan.
  • Bring the broth mixture to a boil.
  • Return the beef to the pot and submerge it in the broth. Spoon some of the broth over the beef, then put the lid on the pot and bake for 2 ½ hours. (If your pot doesn't have a lid, you can cover the pot with aluminum foil.)
  • About halfway through the cooking time, remove the pot from the oven and spoon the sauce over the beef.
  • After 2 ½ hours have elapsed, remove the pot from the oven and place it back onto a warm burner over medium/low heat.
  • Remove the beef from the sauce and let it rest for about 10 minutes, while you thicken the sauce.
  • Mix together water and cornstarch, then stir that into the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat for 10 minutes, while the beef is resting.
    1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • After 10 minutes have elapsed, shred the beef and return it to the sauce. Remove from heat.
  • Serve the beef on crunchy french bread slathered with mayonnaise, a layer of shredded lettuce, and a layer of sliced tomatoes. Top the tomatoes with beef and add a few sliced pickles if desired. Enjoy!
    French bread, shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced dill pickles, mayonnaise

Notes

Once cooled, roast beef debris can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3 - 5 days or frozen for around 3 months.
If you have leftover Roast Beef Debris, be sure to make Debris Cheese Fries.
If you don't have a dutch oven or oven-safe pot, you can sear the beef in a pot on the stove, then create the sauce in the same pot. To bake, place the beef in an oven-safe casserole dish, pour the sauce over the meat, and top it with aluminum foil. After baking, remove the beef from the dish to rest and pour the sauce back in the pot to finish the recipe as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 989mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg