Recipe | The Manly Steak Sandwich. Grr.

Posted on 18. Jun, 2009 by Sheila in food

Why is it a manly sandwich you ask? Only because I stumbled upon the recipe in Esquire magazine’s website flanked between a picture of some half-naked woman and Scarlett Johansson giving me a come hither look. Maybe it’s another one of those subliminal messages telling you that this sandwich will attract the ladies. You could say it worked because that sandwich sure got me! Oh, that was bad.

I had one piece of rib-eye steak in the freezer and I was in one of those moods where the idea of eating it plain just felt… too meaty. But for some reason a steak sandwich sounded less heavy and more like a well-rounded meal. A quick Google search led me to Lee Hefter’s steak sandwich and as the executive chef at Cut steakhouse, I figured the man must know how to do it right. It’s also one of his favorite sandwiches so of course I had to try it out for myself.

I know it's hip to be medium rare but I like mine medium.

Surprisingly, Chef Hefter’s recipe isn’t overly gourmet or complicated at all especially when one of the ingredients is good old A1 steak sauce. It sounded strange at first but it created a pretty impressive glaze when I poured it over the sautéed mushrooms and onions. Who knew A1 had so much potential?

There are a lot of components involved that I even omitted a couple of ingredients from the original recipe but once that sandwich is assembled, I promise it will be worth it! There are so many great flavors and textures going on in there. You get a nice crunch from the toasted bread combined with the gooey cheese and a kick from the garlic spread. The steak is juicy and flavorful and blends well with the bitterness from the arugula and with lots of tart from the vinaigrette and A1 sauce. It’s delicious and messy to eat! Kind of like those Carl’s Jr. commercials with scantily clad celebrity girls eating burgers all weird.

I suddenly feel like part of the boys now that I’ve made a sandwich from Esquire magazine under the category “Recipes for Men”. I will have to pair it with one of my favorite beers while I relax on the couch so I can feel all macho. Now where is that remote woman! I have to get my ESPN on.

Manly Steak Sandwich
Adapted from Lee Hefter’s Steak Sandwich via Esquire
Serves 2

6-8 oz. rib-eye steak
1/4 cup onions, sliced into half moons
1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms
1 Tbsp steak sauce (like A1)
French roll, cut into 2 sandwich portions and split horizontally
Garlic mayonnaise (see below)
2 slices Vermont white cheddar (about 2 oz)
Arugula, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette
Unsalted butter

1. Cook steak using your preferred method. Since I don’t have an outdoor grill, I use Alton Brown’s recipe and it works great! (Open the windows. There will be a lot of smoke.)
2. For the garlic mayonnaise: peel 1 garlic clove and mince. Combine with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on a skillet over medium heat until slightly brown.
4. Saute onions until softened, about 2 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in 1 tablespoon of steak sauce into skillet – I use A1 sauce. Let it simmer to a glaze and coats the onions and mushrooms nicely. Season with salt and pepper.
7. As you are sauteing the vegetables, butter both sides of bread and lightly toast in an oven or grill pan.
8. Once the steak has finished resting and the vegetables are cooked, spread garlic mayonnaise and then the cheese on bottom sides of toasted bread.
9. Place bottom sides of bread on foil-covered pan and broil in the oven until cheese is melted.
10. Meanwhile, slice steak thinly and toss arugula with a touch of balsamic vinaigrette.
11. Assembly: Place steak slices on top of melted cheese. Top with glazed onions and mushrooms and dressed arugula.

Printable Recipe

Tags: main course, Recipes