Much like burgers, steak sandwiches can be taken in pretty much any direction you like. Want to add cheese? Go for it. Craving something spicy? Add some zhoug or pickled jalapeños. You can use baguette, sourdough – pretty much anything with enough heft to stand up to the steak will do. The recipe below is just a blueprint, and we’d definitely encourage you to add your own twists and additions as you like.
What steak should you use for a steak sandwich?
We’ve used sirloin steak – also known as NY strip steak – below. It has a nice, firm texture, and works well cooked to either medium-rare or medium. However, this would work well with a variety of steaks, from rib-eye to onglet/hanger steak.
What do you put on a steak sandwich?
Generally, there is some combination of steak, mayonnaise, something sharp, some sort of onion and something green. You could use chimichurri, crispy shallots, chipotle mayonnaise, pickled jalapeños – the options, as noted above, are pretty much endless. Below, we’ve gone for a very classic combination of rocket, tomato and red onion.
How do you cook steak for a steak sandwich?
Below, we’ve used the cold sear method for cooking steak, developed by Andrew Janjigian for America’s Test Kitchen. Counter-intuitively, it starts in a cold pan, but it still produces a brown crust and tender steak. For sirloin steak it works really well, and is an easy way to make steak without setting off any fire alarms.
Steak sandwich recipe
The caramelised onions below are optional – they’re a popular addition to steak sandwiches, but as it’s quite a rich sandwich even without them, feel free to leave them out. The recipe below makes more onions than you need, but any leftovers will soon find their way into pastas, sandwiches and spooned onto cheese on toast, we’re sure.
Metric
Imperial
- 300g of sirloin steak
- 1 large ciabatta roll, or two small ones
- 30g of fresh rocket leaves
- 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
- extra virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- salt, to taste
Caramelised onions (optional)
- 2 large onions, around 600g, peeled and thinly sliced
- 30g of butter
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
Mustard mayonnaise
- 30g of mayonnaise
- 30g of Dijon mustard
For the caramelised onions, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large pan
Once melted, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat in the butter
Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onions are very sticky and have shrunk down a lot. As the moisture cooks off the onions, you may need to turn the heat down to stop them from sticking to the pan
Season to taste with salt, then remove from the heat
For the steak, we’re going to cook it using the cold-sear method. Add the steak to a non-stick or cast iron pan. Turn up the heat to high, and cook for two minutes on each side
Turn the heat down to medium, and keep flipping every two minutes until the steak is cooked to your liking. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature at the centre. For a steak this size, it could be ready after just 4 minutes at medium heat
Remove from the pan and set aside on a chopping board to rest
Cut the bread roll(s) in half, and then toast lightly in the steak pan, soaking up some of the beef fat and juices
Mix together the mustard mayo ingredients
Mix together the rocket and red onion, then dress with a dash of oil and vinegar, and some salt to taste
Thinly slice the steak across the grain, and season with salt
Spread the bread with the mustard mayo, then top with the rocket salad. Add some slices of tomato, and season them with salt
Add some slices of steak and caramelised onions, then top with the other half of the sandwich
How long does a steak sandwich last?
Steak sandwiches can be made a day or so ahead, but the fat in the steak and the caramelised onions will set rather unappetisingly firmly in the fridge. However, they're a great one to bring to a picnic, or into the office for lunch, as they are just as good at room temperature as they are warm. Over time, the salad will wilt, but should still bring some pepperiness and sharpness to the sandwich.
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