Wonders of Wine and Food

A French dip sandwich, also known as a beef dip, is a hot sandwich consisting of thinly sliced roast beef on a "French roll" or baguette. It is usually served topped with Swiss Cheese, onions, and a side of beef juice from the cooking process. Beef broth or beef consommé is sometimes substituted.

The French Dip Sandwich did not originate from France but it’s originator, Philippe Mathieu, was French.  Phillipe owned a sandwich shop in Los AngelesPhilippe the Original that is still around today!   According to the story, Philippe was making a  sandwich for a policeman and accidentally dropped the sliced French roll into the drippings of a roasting pan.  Instead of getting new bread, Phillipe served dipped bread and the policeman loved it so much he returned the next day with friends requesting all of their sandwiches be dipped in the meat drippings – and that’s how The French Dip Sandwich was born.

The Now question is what wine goes best with this delicious sandwich. Now I prefer my dip to come almost plain butter on the bun and beef no onions no cheese. The last wine I had with my dip was from Italy a very smooth Pinot Grigio.  It complimented the beef and au juice nicely.

Others say if the sauce is intensely winey it again tends to suit full-bodied youthful reds like Syrah/Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon. If it's served with gravy you're better off with a more classic wine like a red Bordeaux or a Rioja.

The two main factors that would affect the taste of the wine would be horseradish which I do not use and a thick spicy sauce.

I have also tried Chardonnay and Petite Milo.