French Dip Panini

makes 3-4 depending on size, prep 40 min, cook time 5 min
* 1 head garlic
* olive oil
* 2 onions, thinly sliced into rings
* 1/2 onions, finely diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups beef broth
* 2 tbsp beef base or bouillon ( I used a combination of beef and mushroom
base)
* water
* 1/2 tsp thyme
* salt and pepper
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* thinly sliced french or sourdough bread (ask bakery to slice with their
machine-perfect thickness)
* 1 pound thinly sliced medium rare roast beef
* 4-6 slices provolone cheese
1. Start by roasting the head of garlic in the oven at 400°F. Cut off the top
of the garlic to expose the cloves and drizzle with olive oil, place in a small
crock or wrap in foil and place in the oven.
2. While garlic roasts, saute onion rings in a little oil over medium heat,
stirring occasionally until soft and brown.
3. While onions are cooking start au jus in a small pot: saute diced onion and
garlic in oil until soft and translucent.
4. Add beef broth and bouillon, taste. Add salt as desired, pepper and thyme.
If too salty add small amounts of water to dilute.
5. Allow to simmer while constructing sandwiches.
6. Remove garlic from oven when golden brown and soft, allow to cool enough to
handle.
7. Squeeze garlic cloves out of paper and mash on a cutting board, stir into
mayonnaise.
8. When onions are ready, construct sandwiches. Lay out bottom bread slices and
spread with garlic mayo. Top with thick piles of roast beef, then caramelized
onions, then layer provolone over all. Top with bread slice.
9. Brush outsides of sandwich with olive oil and place in panini press or cook
on a griddle.
10. Sandwiches only take minutes to cook in a panini press (or in our case
George Foreman Grill) but there is enough time to drop some sweet potato fries
into the deep fryer.
11. Ladle au jus into small bowls and serve alongside sandwiches cut on the
diagonal.