The Ultimate Steak Sandwich
Here I'll share some tips and tricks for creating the most irresistible steak sandwich!
Servings: 4
Cost: £3 / $4
Equipment
- Large Heavy-Based Pan, Wooden Spoon & Tongs (for onions/steak)
- Baking Tray, Small Pot & Brush (for toasting bread)
- Small Bowl (to store onions)
- Kitchen Roll (for drying steak)
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Ingredients
Steak & Sauce
- 2x 8oz/225g Steaks, at room temp (see notes)
- 2 tbsp / 30g Unsalted Butter
- 2 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
- 1 large sprig of Fresh Rosemary
- 2 cloves of Garlic, left in skins and lightly crushed
- 120ml / 1/2 cup Beef Stock
- 240ml / 1 cup Double/Heavy Cream, at room temp
- 100g / 3.5oz Blue Cheese, crumbled (see notes)
- 1 heaped tbsp Fresh Chives
- Oil, as needed
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
Caramelized Onions
- 400g / 14oz Red Onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp EACH: Balsamic Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
Sandwich
- 2x Ciabatta Rolls
- 1-2 Beef Tomatoes, sliced
- 2 pinches of Rocket/Arugula
- Olive Oil, as needed
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Caramelised Onions: Add butter and olive oil to a pan over medium heat, then add in the onions. Fry for 15mins, stirring somewhat frequently, until the onions turn soft and golden. Stir in balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt & pepper, then lower the heat slightly. Continue frying for another 15-20mins, or until completely soft, sticky and sweet. If any fond (flavour/char) builds up in the pan at any point, just add a dash of water and use your wooden spoon to scrape it off. The lower and slower you fry the softer and sweet the onions will be. Remove onions from pan when done.
- Prep Steak: Pat both sides of the steaks dry then generously season all over with salt & pepper.
- Cook Steak: Place a large heavy-based/cast-iron pan over high heat. Once the pan is smoking hot (literally) add a drizzle of oil. Leave for 10 seconds, then add in the steaks. Fry for 2mins (should see blood/moisture rise to the surface). Flip then fry for 1 minute. Add in the butter, rosemary, garlic & thyme and baste the steaks for a further minute. Remove steaks from pan & leave to rest (important) and thinly slice just before needed. Leave herbs and garlic in the pan.
- Sauce: Lower heat to medium and pour in the stock and cream. Scrape off any flavour from the pan, then stir in blue cheese and chives. Simmer for around 5 mins, stirring somewhat frequently, or until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened. Pour in the resting juices from the steak and remove the garlic/rosemary/thyme. Simmer for a minute or so until it re-thickens. It will thicken, just keep simmering/stirring (it will thicken more as it rests).
- Bread: Whilst it's simmering halve the bread and place cut-side-up on a baking tray. Brush with 1 tbsp oil then place under the grill until golden and crisp.
- Sandwich: Top the bottom slice of ciabatta with caramelised onions, followed by tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper. Top with rocket, then steak, then blue cheese sauce (measured with love). Pop the lid on, slice in half and enjoy!
Video
Notes
a) Steak - I typically use Sirloin or Rump, just because they're accessible and cheap. You can use a more expensive cut though if you'd prefer. Main thing is you prep it properly (room temp, dry, heavy season).
b) Steak Timings - For medium-rare I find 2 mins on each side for a 2cm steak does the trick. Reduce/increase by 30 seconds for rare/medium. Really important you let the steak rest for at least 5 mins before slicing, otherwise the juices will all pour out.
c) Blue Cheese - I like Saint Agur as I find it's the perfect balance of rich and creamy. If you want something more powerful go for a Stilton, if you're looking for something a bit more mild go for Gorgonzola.
d) Blue Cheese Sauce - This makes quite a lot, probably more than you'll need (although I won't judge). Allow leftovers to cool then tightly store in the fridge for 3-4 days. It is a rich sauce, but works so well in the sandwich with the sweetness of the onions and tomato. It's unlikely you'll want to add salt, but you can add some black pepper if you'd like.
e) Caramelised Onions - These are key to add sweetness to the sandwich. You can make these ahead of time and tightly store in the fridge until needed (they can last up to a week).
f) Ciabatta -I grabbed a 270g pack of 'half ciabattas' from Sainsburys, so use that as the size reference. Ciabatta works really well because it's lightly, airy and crisps up really well.
g) Frying Pan - I usually use a non-stick pan for the onions and a cast-iron for the steak. You can can use a cast-iron for the onions too, they're just more prone to sticking. Just add a dash of water to the pan anytime you see them catching. Don't use a non-stick pan for the steak, you need a heavy-based pan to get it super hot!
h) Serving - This gives two big hearty sandwich, for 4 regular sandwiches when halved. If you're serving 4 for a main, consider a Side to go with it!
i) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 with no sides.
Nutrition
Calories: 794kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.52g | Protein: 38.61g | Fat: 50.5g | Saturated Fat: 27.219g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.815g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18.023g | Trans Fat: 0.591g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 941mg | Potassium: 817mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 8.04g | Vitamin A: 1626IU | Vitamin C: 12.5mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 4.85mg