A follow up on the Italian Beef idea to use pre-cooked beef. Here's what I tried today, it was pretty close to Chicago Italian Beef, enough so that I'll be making it again. 1 pound thin sliced rare roast beef (from the deli) 4 cups beef stock 1 medium onion 1 tablespoon oil 1/2 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons Italian Spice 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Optional: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves of garlic) Roughly chop the onion and mash the garlic cloves if using fresh garlic. Sautee the onion in the oil until transparent. If using fresh garlic, add it shortly before the onions are transparent. Add the wine, beef stock, Italian spice, garlic powder (if using) and red pepper flakes, and simmer for at least 2 hours. Strain to remove the pieces of onion, and add the rare roast beef. Simmer for 2-4 hours, then serve on hoagie buns. For a 'wet' or dipped Italian beef sandwich, dip the bun in the juice to get it soaked (or ladle on generous amounts of juice.) Best served with peppers. Some like sweet peppers simmered in beef stock or the liquid from this recipe for 1/2 hour, others like sport peppers, depending upon your preferences. I like it with both. If you don't have any Italian Spice, mix together 2 tablespoons of each of the following dried spices: basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary and fennel. Toast in a 350 degree oven for a couple of minutes, then grind into a powder with a spice grinder. Thanks so much for sharing again Mike. but now I'm hungry, and my 4 stale 'Nilla wafers just aren't going to cut it. :( ~ MaryJane Hey, thanks, Mike. I'm adding this to my Italian Beef file... PJH

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