Special equipment: stoneware slow cooker

Cook's Note: If you do not have a stoneware slow cooker that doubles as both a saute pan and Dutch oven, saute everything in a pan, then place into the slow cooker to cook.

Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the sleeve to the slow cooker on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear until brown on all sides. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, Thai hot sauce and broth. Place the sleeve in the slow cooker and turn the slow cooker to its lowest setting. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until the meat begins to fall apart with the pull of a fork.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker and slice the beef into 1/4- inch slices or shred it, depending on your preference. Ladle off the fat from the top of the jus and discard. Reserve the jus from the pot. Slather both sides of the French bread with the cheese and top with some of the beef and the onions from the pot. Serve with a side bowl of the jus.