Ultimate Steak Sandwich Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S ULTIMATE STEAK SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Cut steak into 6 thick strips. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Grill mushrooms for 5-6 minutes over medium-high heat until they begin to wilt. Remove the stem end to separate the mushrooms.
• Stir mushrooms in a bowl with salt and pepper, sherry vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
• Grill steaks for 3-4 minutes per side over medium-high heat, until medium rare or to desired doneness. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Whisk together barbeque sauce, cider vinegar and vegetable oil. Set aside.
• Serve grilled steaks on hot dog buns with mayonnaise, arugula, cherry tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, and barbeque sauce mixture.

STEAK SANDWICH

Steps:

• Season the steak liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan over high heat until it's almost smoking, then sear the steak on each side for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and cook the steak for about 7 to 10 minutes, turning once, until very rare in the middle. Remove to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Slice the steak into strips.
• Using the same saute pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and saute for 10 minutes, until the onions are brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally.
• To assemble the sandwiches, spread a tablespoon of Mustard Mayo on the bottom half of each bun. Place a layer the steak strips on top of the mayo, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with the caramelized onion rings. Place the baby arugula on top of the onion rings, and cover the sandwiches with the top half of the buns.
• Mustard Mayo:
• Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature.
• Yield: 1 cup

ULTIMATE STEAK AND MUSHROOM SHOOTER SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Fit a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Season the tenderloin with the granulated garlic and plenty of salt and pepper. Transfer to the wire-racked baking sheet and place on the middle rack in the oven. Roast low and slow until the internal temperature registers 120 degrees F, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove the tenderloin from the oven, cut off the butcher's twine and coat in the softened butter. Set the oven to broil. Broil each side until crusty and golden, about 30 seconds a side. Set aside to cool, reserving any juices for later.
• Slice the tenderloin as thinly as possible. We are looking for a smooth bite down here, so thin slices are key. Pour the accumulated juices over the slices and hit with more salt and pepper.
• Cut off the top crust of the boule about 1 inch down to create a lid. Hollow out the rest of the bread into a bread bowl. Smear the mustard over the bottom of the bread bowl. Next, spread with the Mushroom Duxelles. Then, add the sliced tenderloin; we are looking for a lot of height here, so ribbon those slices! Next comes a layer of baby spinach. Close with the top of the bread bowl and completely wrap in 3 layers of foil.
• Place a heavy wooden cutting board on top and use books, weights, giant cans, etc. to press down on the sandwich evenly. We are looking for maximum compression here, so 50 pounds is the goal. Just make sure the weight is distributed evenly. Press for a minimum of 4 hours at room temperature.
• Unwrap, slice into wedges and serve.
• Add the mushrooms, garlic and shallot to a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
• Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add the mushroom mixture and stir. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper, deglaze with the sherry, then add the fresh thyme. Set aside to cool.

THE ULTIMATE STEAK SANDWICH

Steps:

• Make the bechamel cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly to incorporate - you do not want any color. Gradually pour in the milk as you stir, and whisk out any lumps. As the mixture thickens up continue to stir until it reaches a boil - this ensures the flour is cooked completely. Dump in the cheese and stir for another minute until the cheese is completely melted. Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper, then set aside to keep warm.
• Make arugula mayonnaise: Put arugula in a food processor with the lemon juice and salt and pepper. Top with mayonnaise and process until well combined. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if required.
• Prepare the steak: Take the finely sliced steak and shingle it out into 2 portions on a clean cutting board lined with parchment. Put the shingled meat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound out using either a saute pan or a meat mallet. After first pounding, remove the plastic wrap, fold in the edges, replace plastic and pound the meat some more. Store wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. Now the meat is ready when you want to cook it.
• Heat a large, flat grill-pan over medium heat. Split hoagie rolls in half, drizzle with olive oil and place onto griddle.
• Take the meat out of the refrigerator. Peel off 1 side of the plastic wrap and season with salt and pepper. Put this side down in the pan and then quickly peel off the other side of the plastic wrap and season again. Cook slowly in the pan until juicy and tender and just past pink in color. Turn the meat over and then fold with some of the cheese sauce.
• To serve, smear each half of the roll with arugula mayonnaise. Top the bottom with the steak and cheese, then lay a scoop of fennel slaw over the top.
• Finely slice fennel using a mandoline, or the grater attachment on your food processor. In a large mixing bowl combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and sour cream and stir to combine. Add the finely sliced fennel and coleslaw mix, herbs, and olive oil and fold together. Season with salt and pepper.
• Yield: 4 servings